Scarred and Bleeding
by jaybunzy0
Summary: Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.
1. Screwed

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Based off cutepjs amazing photoset - post/42045059512/au-damon-and-elena-are-fbi-agents-who-dont**

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Groan.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

With a slap of his hand, Damon silenced the offending alarm clock. He rolled over to his side, taking note of the petite brunette tangled up in his sheets. Her hair was cropped just above her shoulders and her skin was tanned from the Georgia sun. The girl whimpered in her sleep, tucking her body further into a tiny ball. He called her _the girl_ because he couldn't remember her name. It was a side effect of the amount of alcohol he consumed on the weekend. Occupational hazard.

Quietly he stood up and searched the ground for her purse. He found it strewn haphazardly against one of his frames. Making sure to keep an eye on the girl, he bent down and rifled through the tiny silver purse. Damon pulled out her driver's license and studied the information.

Andie Starr. Damon rolled his eyes. He slipped the license back in its rightful place, not even bothering to make a mental comment about the possible jobs a name like that would succeed in. Careful not to wake his latest bedmate up, Damon slipped into the shower and washed the remnants of the previous night off his body. He was covered in glitter and groaned at the thought of what state his bed must be in. Laundry would have to be done and he made a mental note to leave a tip for Vicki, the cleaning lady.

Once he was washed off, he turned off the shower and wrapped one of his cotton towels around his waist. The scene he came in on was one he had seen a thousand times before. Well, maybe not a thousand. Hundred? Definitely more than twenty but who was being technical. Andie Starr sat on the edge of the bed, her party dress on as she leaned over and slipped on her heels. Damon smirked as he approached his bed's latest victim.

She blushed as he approached, her eyes raking over his wet body. "So… I've got to get going."

With her heels secured, she reached forward and grabbed her bag. As Damon stepped towards her she stood and let him envelop her in his arms. It was a fantasy she was letting herself live in as she tilted her head up and kissed him. He hummed into the kiss, letting his hands drift down and squeeze her backside. She squirmed in his arms and nipped his bottom lip.

"It was fun."

Damon's eyes darkened. It certainly had been. Not that he would ever see her again. His job came with certain cons and a steady girlfriend was one of them. He couldn't have anyone he cared about get trapped in the crosshairs of his job. The one night stands were necessary. They would hate him when he wouldn't call but if they knew the truth it would bring out an entirely different reaction.

"Very," Damon grinned, planting one last peck upon her awaiting lips.

He walked her down the stairs of his family home; a home he had inherited following the death of his parents. They made quick goodbyes and he watched as she made her way into her car. Yeah, he made them drive. He was a dick because of it. But there was no way he could have someone trailing them just because they knew his license plate. He had to be careful with his extracurricular activities. It was a matter of life and death.

Just as her yellow Volkswagen disappeared from his lot, he heard the familiar sound of the Star Wars theme song chiming from his phone. It made him feel like a badass every time he heard it. Taking the stairs two at a time, he made it to his phone just in time.

"Salvatore," he answered.

He heard a grunt on the phone and could almost imagine his boss Alaric Saltzman scooting his chair towards his desk. "You better be en route, Salvatore. Your new partner is already waiting outside my office _on time_ mind you."

"Good to know the newbie's punctual," Damon replied, already slipping on a pair of slacks. He hadn't forgotten about the very reason he allowed himself to get hammered last night. _Another new partner_. Just what he needed. They never lasted long. Couldn't handle his sarcasm. Couldn't handle the way he got things done. Just another new guy who wouldn't make it through the week.

Alaric grumbled. "This is your last chance. You mess this one up and I'll have you doing desk work until retirement. I don't care how good you are at catching perps but you need to realize this isn't a one man job. It's good to have someone watching your back."

Damon rolled his eyes as he buttoned up his shirt and fastened his cufflinks. He had his jacket on and was on his way down the stairs before Alaric had finished talking. "Gotcha, bossman."

"I'm serious, Salvatore. Now get your ass in here."

"On my way," Damon sang as he opened the door to his '67 Chevy Camaro. It was his pride and joy and it purred like a kitten.

He hung up the phone and started the engine. There was no way the new guy was making him look bad on the first day. His car blazed through the small town traffic and entered the city limits within seconds. Speed was his ally as he raced his way to the office and arrived with time to spare. He passed through security and slid his ID card through just in time to punch in and was on his way to the tenth floor before Alaric could look at his watch for the tenth time.

Damon exited the elevator and gave a few greetings to his co-workers. He grabbed himself a cup of coffee and slipped his suit jacket on the back of his desk chair. His office was clean and tidy, unlike that of his peers. He kept it neat in order to avoid any unwanted chaos. There was enough of that on the job. He needed to control what he could.

The was a knock on his door and he looked up to see his boss leaning against the door frame.

"Need to get that Rolex checked? Cause according to mine I made it just in the nick of time." Damon smirked as he sipped his coffee.

Alaric shook his head. "As I recall I asked you to be in my office first thing not to dawdle around here like we don't have criminals to catch and crimes to solve."

Damon shrugged. "You wanted me to make a good first impression. Can't do that without my morning coffee."

Something akin to a guffaw came out of his boss' mouth. "Unless that's Irish you're still going to be an annoying little shit."

"Come on, Ric," Damon jibed. "You know you love me."

Damon and Alaric went way back. Some might even say he was Damon's best friend if they didn't care about ages. Mentor if they did. They drank hard and fought harder and it was because of Ric that Damon was even useful. After the death of his parents, Damon had lost himself. He was a punk who got himself into trouble constantly and it took a slap to the head and a talk or two from Ric before he got his shit together. Alaric got him into the Academy and helped him make his way to where he was today. One of the most talented agents the Bureau could ask for.

Alaric rolled his eyes. "You sound like that stupid Gossip Girl show my daughter can't stop talking about."

"Now Ric, we both know you watch it too. We're all friends here."

"Shut it, Salvatore, or I'll stop Jenna from inviting you to Sunday dinners."

Clutching his hand to his chest, Damon mock collapsed. "You'd let me starve? Harsh."

"Just get in my office. Let's not keep your new partner waiting any longer than we have. Top agent from D.C."

Damon's eye nearly bugged out of his head. Just what he needed; another pissing contest to get into with the newbie. He'd been there before. Two partners ago some big shot out of Chicago thought he could come walking in like he owned the place. One ass whooping from their first assignment sent him back to the so called big leagues with his tail between his legs.

"Don't start," Alaric warned. "This is your last shot. Make it work."

They hadn't even met and Damon already hated the guy. His job was everything. It was the reason he continued on with his pitiful life. If this guy messed with it he was going to have another thing coming to him. The moment they got a second alone he was going to give it to him straight.

Alaric pushed open his office door and ushered Damon inside. Damon's eyes scanned the room, looking for the person he would be stuck with until he retired or died, whatever. When he saw he wasn't seated in either of the chairs across Alaric's desk, he scanned the room. That's where he saw her. Reading the titles in Alaric's bookcase was a brown hair goddess. She had legs for days and ass that looked phenomenal in the black pencil skirt she was wearing. Her hair went down to her waist and was pin straight and looked silky smooth. Damon could actually imagine his hands raking through it and he yearned to touch it.

She turned towards them and his eyes immediately jumped to her doe eyes that stared towards him. She wore a dark blue button up and a black blazer that had her ID secured to her coat pocket. Her face was round and her lips were plump and only thinned as her mouth widen in a smile. A brilliant smile that had him weak in the knees. Him, Damon Salvatore, was actually having trouble standing because of some girl. She was gorgeous. There was no other way to describe it.

"Damon Salvatore," Alaric stated, "I'd like you to meet your new partner, Elena Gilbert."

Damon's eyes widened.

His partner was a girl. A girl he found himself attracted to.

He was screwed.


	2. Irritated

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Question for all my readers- Would you rather this story stay in Damon's POV or would you like it to show a little bit of what Elena is up to?**

* * *

Elena Gilbert stepped towards him with a bright smile on her face, unaware of the chaos going on in his head. He couldn't be attracted to his partner. No matter how beautiful she was or how hard she made his heart jump and… other areas as they strained against his slacks. As her hand slipped in to his to give him a firm handshake, he could only notice the softness of her skin and the small but noticeable beauty mark that rested just above her wrist. When their eyes locked he felt the electricity brewing between them reach new heights. How could she act so unfazed when he was struggling to keep his face indifferent? Something he was a master at in usual situations.

This woman was going to be his undoing. Not exactly something you want in someone that's supposed to help keep you alive.

"It's great to finally meet you," she stated, her voice warm and dripping with honey. He could certainly think of a few things he would like to drip on her body and clean off… with his tongue.

Damon gave her the classic smirk, the panty-dropper as some of his late night companions had referred to it. "Only good things, I hope."

She didn't even flinch. "He told me enough," she offered, her smile growing sweet.

"Elena comes highly recommended from DC," Alaric said as he took a seat behind his desk. Elena calmly sat down in the seat in front of him and Damon followed suit. He really wasn't one to act so formerly with his boss but he mind as well make a good impression. "We're lucky to have her."

She rolled her eyes as her body shifted towards her new boss. "You're just saying that because Jenna told you to."

Damon's eyes widened as he saw the impish smile grace Ric's face. "How do you know Jenna?"

As she crossed her legs, she turned towards him. He couldn't help but dart his eyes down to the hint of cleavage that peeked out from her blouse and follow the long length of her legs. She seemed like the perfect package except for that little issue of being his new partner. Her shoulder's shrugged as she stated, "She's my aunt."

"Ah," Damon breathed. "Nepotism at its finest."

Elena's eyes narrowed. "I work hard at my job, Damon. Alaric wasn't even aware I applied for a transfer until he was told by me that I was coming."

"Ease up, Cujo. Just making a joke." He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't be working here if not for Ric. Got no complaints on the matter."

By the huff she let out and the way her body became stiff as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face Alaric, Damon could tell he had hit a soft spot. He couldn't even enjoy the way the movement lifted her breast because of the sudden shift in demeanor. The girl obviously couldn't take a joke and if that were true the two of them were definitely going to have a problem. Damon's sarcasm was a part of who he was. He cracked inappropriate jokes and was a pain in the ass and people loved him for it. This girl, however, was having none of it.

The worst part was he somehow had to find a way to make it work. It was that or being stuck sitting on the sidelines, filing paperwork for the rest of his career. That was something that was definitely not happening. Not if he had anything to do with it. She'd just have to get used to it.

"Well, back to business…" Alaric drawled, taking a sip of his coffee as he tried to cut away the tension building in the room. "You two will be partnered up to handle the latest gang activity in the area. The Mikaelson's have slowly been killing off all the usual big bosses and taking over their businesses. We can't have a city controlled by the mob. This needs to be handled. And quickly."

Elena was instantly alert at the change in subject. "I've handled gang activity before."

"Not like this you haven't," Damon warned. "The Mikaelson's are intense and ruthless."

"So are the Italians, Damon. And the Irish. Not to mention the cut-throat lobbyists who think they run the country."

Damon let out a short laugh as he relaxed into his seat. "I'm just saying you might be a little out of your league here, Gilbert."

She stared at him hard, her gaze unwavering as her eyes narrowed into slits. "Is it because I'm a woman? Are you feeling emasculated by having a woman responsible for keeping you alive? At having a woman threatening your place on the ladder? Because I can assure you I can handle this and I'll do it better than you."

"Alright!" Alaric interrupted. "I think that's enough for first introductions. Elena, why don't you go get situated in your office and let me have a moment here with your partner."

Elena stood and smoothed out her black skirt. "Sure thing, boss." The way she said it made the term endearing and Alaric couldn't help but smile in return. Despite her warm smile returning Damon noticed the glare she gave him as she exited the room. This woman was infuriating. Closing the door behind her, he watched as she disappeared from sight and for the first time since meeting her, Damon visibly relaxed. That was until he caught sight of Ric's seething glare.

"You do realize this is your only shot and you're not exactly starting off on the right foot."

Mouth dropping, Damon balked. "She's the one who went all Gloria Steinem on me. Like I don't like women? ME? Damon Salvatore loves women. I'm an equal opportunist." He stood up and began pacing the blue carpeted floor. When a thought entered his consciousness, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards his boss. "Speaking of which, how come I'm in here getting berated for my behavior while she's off decorating her office."

Alaric shook his head. "Don't judge a book by its cover, Damon."

"Really, Ric? It's metaphor hour in neighborhood?"

Folding his hands on the desk, Alaric leaned forward. "I'm just saying you don't know her story so don't judge her actions."

"That's not being vague at all."

Leaning back Ric began to shuffle some papers on his desk. His eyes didn't lift back up as he stated, "It's not my story to tell," in a no-nonsense voice. "Now, go make nice. You two are stuck together and she's the only one willing to put up with your bullshit no matter what I told her."

"So, you did tell her all my dirty little secrets."

"Back to work, Salvatore."

* * *

Damon watched out of his office at his new partner being social with the other employees. Elena Gilbert laughed and talked animatedly with her co-workers, moving her hands around as she tried to explain some type of story. The sight only infuriated him more. How could she be so happy and carefree with everyone else when she had flipped the switch so quickly with him? He got to experience her the way she was now for a split second before she became all defensive. He was in for a hell a ride with this one and he'd be lying if the challenged didn't have him intrigued.

She began to make her way towards her office which was adjacent to his and he saw this as his only opportunity to make peace. He jumped out of his seat and reached the door just as she was reaching for hers. "Elena?" he called out, halting her steps. She turned towards him slowly, irritation already filling her previous happy state. "I want to call a truce and say to hell with first impressions." He reached his hand out and gave her a small smile, hoping like hell it would be enough.

Rather than shake his awaiting hand, her arms crossed over her body, a manila folder clutched in her hand brushing against her waist. "You think you can just turn on the charm and all will be forgiven? I know your kind, _Salvatore_," she whispered his last name. "You're a womanizer and a cocky son of a bitch and I'm not falling for it. You may not be trying to get into my pants because of work policy and all but I'm not going to praise you for your sweet talking either."

Damon put his hands on his hips. "I'm just waving the proverbial white flag." He was getting really sick of her attitude. She needed to get that stick out of her ass and stop judging him on his actions. Where was Master Alaric with all his wise words now? He didn't care what plagued her past but he sure as hell didn't deserve to be on the sharp end of it.

"I know I'm your last chance, Damon, so I'll work with you. We'll take down the Mikaelson's and any other assignment that comes our way but the only way that this is going to work is if we don't try for a personal relationship. I'll have your back when it counts and that's all you should be focusing on right now." She pushed open her door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get caught up on our assignment."

Without another word, Elena entered her office and slammed the door shut. Damon stood their gaping at the place where she had just stood and pretty much cemented the thought he had just minutes prior: He was in for one hell of a ride.

"Game on, Gilbert," Damon muttered to himself before turning and making his way back to his office.

* * *

"Barkeep? Another bourbon."

The elderly man nodded and began to pour the amber liquid into a tumbler. As soon as it was placed before him, Damon downed the drink and let the fire burn his throat. He slammed the glass down and choked out another order. He was five drinks in but what did it matter. There was no way he was making his way home sober. Certainly not after the day he just had.

Elena had stayed in her office the rest of the day. Only emerging to gather new boxes of evidence and familiarize herself with their assignment. He couldn't deny that she was a hard worker. They were cut from the cloth in that way: both obsessed with work and confident with their aptitude for it.

"Rough night?"

Damon turned to see a curvy blonde a few seats away from him. She was nursing a glass of white wine and didn't look at him as she spoke. He studied her as she ran her finger along the rim of her glass. Blondie was dressed in a tight emerald green dress that showed off her bare shoulders and cut just above mid-thigh. Gold jewelry decorated her body to match the golden blonde of her hair that was set in waves just below her shoulders.

The beauty of it all was that she in no way resembled Elena Gilbert.

He tipped his glass on its side and swirled the liquid. "You could say that. Not that I can't handle things being a little rough."

She turned towards him, laughing. "You're a forward one."

Damon shrugged. "Just know what I want."

"Is that so?" she sang, moving to sit beside him. "And what is it you want, stranger?"

"Your name."

The blonde smiled. Tilting her head and licking her lips, she answered, "Rebekah."

"Damon."

Rebekah reached out and danced her fingers along his arm. "So, Damon… Is there anything else you want?"

He gave her that winning smirk and whispered, "I want to get out of here… and I want you to join me."

As she thought it over, a look of mischief shining in her blue eyes, Damon finished off his sixth drink. There was no way he was driving home tonight. Thankfully he wouldn't have to journey home alone. Rebekah finished off her wine and started to throw some money on the table only to have Damon cover her bill for her. They stood up and Damon held out his arm in question. With a wink, Rebekah took it and melted into his side. "And Damon?"

"Yes?" he answered as he opened the door of the bar.

She leaned forward, kissing the spot just below his ear. "I like it rough."

_Oh yes_. This was exactly what he needed to get all thoughts of Elena Gilbert off his mind.


	3. Let the Games Begin

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

* * *

There was a knock at his door causing Damon to lift his eyes from the files he was currently browsing through. He had been immersed in everything Mikaelson for days. Elena's persistence at catching these mob bosses brought out a new sense of urgency within himself that he hadn't had since his early years. She was vivacious and headstrong and determined as hell. All of these qualities would've had him groveling at her feet if she wasn't so goddamned irritating.

She refused to be nice to him, choosing instead to simply put up with their current situation. She spoke to him in clipped sentences, refusing to divulge anything about her life that didn't have to do with work. Damon knew nothing about her family life; her parents, if she had siblings. Or even worse, a boyfriend, husband (though judging by the hours she put in and the lack of a ring on her finger he doubted, but still it was a possibility). He knew nothing about her hobbies, if she went to college, what made her transfer back to her hometown (he only learned that this was her hometown through a quick conversation with Alaric). The girl was a one minded machine with him: work, work, work. It would've been great if he hadn't been fantasizing about all the ways he could bring her vigorous demeanor to better use. The girl had to be a hellcat in bed.

Not like he had any chance of finding out.

"Come in," he grumbled.

The door opened to reveal Elena, her blazer removed and her hair gathered into a high ponytail. He tried not to study the length of her neck and the path of her collarbones, but he failed miserably. She may be annoying as hell and a pain to work with but damn if she wasn't attractive. Even without trying and even with the late night and afternoon mind-blowing sex he'd been having, Elena Gilbert could still have the power to derail his thoughts. He struggled to focus his eyes elsewhere and found that she had a manila folder in her hands. No words came out of her mouth as she entered the room and began leafing through the folder, the center of her forehead wrinkled with concentration. Damon waited her out, refusing to get her any more irritated with him then necessary—he was determined to be on his best behavior however hard that may be.

And boy was _it_ hard.

"It says here," Elena dropped down a file that had the list of every alleged member of the Mikaelson family, "that the boss, Klaus, has an unnamed sister. Why is that? Confidentiality or…?"

Damon eyes the document, noting the familiar drawing of a family tree. Near the very end of the tree was the most recent mob bosses save one spot which clearly stated: _female- name unknown_. Handing the file back towards her, Damon spoke. "We discovered through hospital records the name of Mikael and Esther's children save for one. The name was blacked out and no matter how hard we searched or interrogated no one would give it up. We know she exists based on some journal entries and witnesses but her brother, Klaus doesn't want her found and he usually gets his way."

"Let's find her then," Elena stated.

Unable to control himself, Damon barked out a laugh. "Like we haven't tried? We used all our resources. No dice."

"You didn't have me then," she replied, confidently. Her eyes scanned the file. "Finn would be our best bet. He's the least in control of the brothers. Klaus won't give her up, Kol's too unpredictable, Elijah is too noble to betray his family… but Finn? Finn is basically a well-to-do henchman. All birth right and no power."

Damon stared at her. The girl had certainly done her homework and damn if the idea didn't sound intriguing. He was in the mood for an old fashion interrogation where he could act calm and suddenly lose his cool. The issue was how to even get close enough to ask. "How do you suggest we get Finn to betray his family?"

"Easy," Elena smiled. "We use the girlfriend. Sage."

Shaking his head, he smiled. She was brilliant despite her naivety. "I think you're underestimating Sage. Finn may have no backbone but Sage certainly does. She's a pistol."

"We'll just have a chat. Woman to woman." Elena responded, a note of fire igniting her eyes. So tight-ass had a dark side. It seemed they just kept having more and more things in common.

With a smirk, Damon stated, "Next chance we get at her, I'll give you the room. We'll see if you've got what it takes, newbie."

Elena rolled her eyes, he fingers digging into her palms. She absolutely hated when he called her that which was exactly why he called her it every chance he got. "Then let's go get her. We'll chalk it up to some misdemeanor or new evidence."

"Easy, killer. Finn and Sage are in England on a second honeymoon. They'll be back in a few weeks. Sage will want to get right back to work as soon as their stateside. We'll get her in for something sooner or later."

Nodding, Elena picked up the document from his desk. "Alright. I'll get to work on a contingency plan just in case." She didn't comment further as she turned around and made her way out of his office, closing the door on her way out. He followed her with his eyes as she passed by his office noting the way her robust, firm ass swayed as she walked. When she disappeared from sight, he ran his fingers through his hairs and groaned at the predicament he found himself in.

His phone chimed and he reached over to read the incoming text.

**From Rebekah:** _Can't wait to see you tonight ;)_

Damon found himself groaning again. Yet another unfortunate predicament. He had broken his own self-placed rule and was a more than a one-night guy. In the span of the past few weeks, he had seen Rebekah every night. The girl absolutely refused to be a one night stand. She showed up in barely there clothing, no clothing, with bourbon and Call of Duty. The girl definitely had game. He tried to be disinterested and keep her at arm's length but she was determined to be wrapped in his arms instead. After that first night, she had showed up during his lunch hour at his favorite hide-out and dragged him into the manager's office to ravage his mouth and other places.

If he hadn't enjoyed her company so much he would've put out an alert for a stage-five clinger. He punched out a reply about seeing _all_ of her and confirmed the time before putting his phone in his pocket and putting Rebekah out of his mind. It was something he didn't do very often since the very thought of the blonde helped with the very prominent frustration over a particular brunette he was forced to see every day.

Another knock on the door caused Damon to push out from his desk and pull at his hair. "Door's open."

"You busy?" Alaric asked, stepping in with a Tupperware container in his hand.

Damon's eyes popped out of his head as the familiar pangs of hunger struck his stomach. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Jenna's famous meatballs with spaghetti," he smiled. "She felt bad you couldn't make with this Sunday. Thinks I'm working you too hard."

"You are," Damon joked, reaching out and taking the container from his boss. He pulled out a plastic wrapped fork from one of his favorite take-out places and dug in. The bite set his taste buds on fire and quenches his hunger. "Your wife certainly knows how to handle balls, man."

Alaric narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger in his direction. "Watch it."

"I'm just saying you're a lucky man."

Taking a seat across from Damon, Alaric reached out and stole a piece of garlic bread. "Why were you missing from Sunday dinner anyways? You've missed the last three. Jen's starting to think you don't like her cooking."

"Like that would ever happen," Damon scoffed.

"Is Elena keeping you here late?"

Damon nearly coughed up a meatball. He took a sip of his Coke and cleared his throat. "No. Nope. Not at all. Just busy." He quickly hid his eyes before Alaric could place the thought that just crossed his mind. An image of Elena and him working late and working on something that had everything to do with debriefing.

"This is about a woman," Alaric guessed. He nodded as a smile lifted the corners of his lips. "Any good stories? You've been holding out on me."

"Just been seeing a girl for the past few weeks," he shrugged. "She's a little needy but it's working for right now."

Alaric leaned forward and rested his elbows on Damon's desk. "Don't you think it's about time you settled down? You have to let yourself be happy at some point. And don't lie and say you are because deep down you know you're not."

Damon's eyes just happened to look over his boss' shoulders just as Elena walked by. He released a sigh. "It's just not meant in this line of work. Not when there's something I could really lose."

"Jenna and I found a way to make it work."

As he began to play with his food, he looked back down and studied the vacant hole he had formed. It was as if his food was mocking him and the vacant empty hole that plagued his heart. It's not that he didn't want to take it serious with a girl and be happy and fall in love. It just wasn't worth the consequences. The woman he loved couldn't become collateral damage because of his fight for justice. "I'm not willing to take the risk. Not when someone could get hurt."

Alaric nodded, surrendering his viewpoint in the conversation. "Okay. Okay." He stood and went to reach for the door. "Just make sure you make it this week."

"I'll be there," Damon smiled, determined to have at least one Rebekah-free day no matter what crazy plans she had in store.

"We've been plus two lately so I'm sure you'll enjoy not being a third wheel."

"What are you talking about? Lily and I have an epic romance going on." Damon winked as his boss cringed.

"Keep your playboy antics far away from my pre-teen daughter." Alaric warned.

"You can't help who you fall in love with."

Narrowing his eyes, Alaric waved him off. "Just keep your hands to yourself."

"So, who are the lucky individuals who have been eating Jenna's amazing meatballs?"

Alaric reached the doorknob. "Elena and her brother. They've been eating with us ever since Elena came back."

"Oh," Damon replied distractedly as his mind went into overdrive. Alaric left the office as the beginnings of a plan began to form. If he knew more about the kind of person Elena was he could find something to fixate on that would stop the inappropriate thoughts he was having or at least help him accept the relationship she was forcing him to have with her. Elena didn't want him in her life because of the kind of man she believed he was. The kind of guy Alaric made him seem. If she wouldn't give him a chance to prove otherwise at the office he would just have to find another way; at another place where she couldn't use the excuse of being busy with work. What better place to prove he was a good guy then at a family dinner?

Let the games begin.


	4. Blame Game

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

* * *

He pulled up to the familiar looking house. In a lot of ways he had thought of this place with its wide, open windows and stone siding as his own. Damon had spent a lot of his time here in the place his boss lived. At one point he had even taken residence in one of the guest bedrooms when he was too messed up to stand the memories that broke him in his family's home. This place wasn't dark and dreary and filled to the roof with haunted memories. No, Alaric's home was bright and full of light and laughter.

As he exited his car, carrying a dish of his famous cannoli's, he heard that laughter coming from inside. It was no doubt the laugh of his favorite little girl and when he rang the doorbell he was greeted with an answer.

"Uncle Damon!" Lily screamed, racing toward him and wrapping her tiny arms around his body. She nearly knocked him down in her excitement to hug him.

Damon smiled and patted her head. "What's up, Lee Lee?"

The little girl with Alaric's sandy brown hair and Jenna's wide green eyes stepped back from him and crossed her tiny arms over her chest. "I'm mad at you," she pouted.

He bent down to get to her level, his hand reaching out to tap her nose. "And why's that?"

"You were gone. For weeks!"

"I'm sorry about that. Think you can ever forgive me?" he questioned, doing his best to make his eyes wide and hopeful.

Lily stared at him, her anger wavering. She huffed and stomped her foot before grabbing his hand and tugging him inside. Quiet music filtered in from the living room as Lilly pulled Damon down the hallways that were filled with black and white photos of their family. They were filled with smiling faces and tongues poking out or faraway shots of the happy couple kissing. This was the shining exception to everything Damon believed about his line of work. Somehow amongst the chaos, Alaric Saltzman had found a way to be let himself take the risk and be happy.

It wasn't always easy. There was a time when Ric had fought against his relationship with Jenna and times when Jenna couldn't handle the long hours that came with the job. It would take years for the two of them to even consider having a child. Yet somewhere along the way they decided they were through letting the job dictate how they lived. They still fought but as with most meant to be couples, the good outweighed the bad.

"He's here!" Lilly screamed when they entered the kitchen. Jenna had her hair curled and pinned up as she bustled around getting dinner ready. She wore a pleated green dress that had her famous "Diva in Training" apron over it. It was a gift from her older sister, who Damon had only recently found out was Elena's mother.

Tonight was certainly going to be interesting.

Alaric appeared from behind the fridge and clapped his hand on Damon's back. His eyes squinted, "Do I know you?"

"Hardy har. Very funny. Couldn't exactly keep me from Lee Lee very long," Damon winked at Lily who had taken a seat at the kitchen island. The little girl blushed and quietly took a sip of her orange soda.

"Certainly going to try," Alaric grunted as he strolled over to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her. "There's no way I'm letting you corrupt her."

Damon held his hands up. "I simply want to educate the youth of America. Think of me as a young Mr. Rogers."

Jenna barked out a laugh. "Sure. If Mr. Rogers wore leather jackets and didn't know how to settle down."

"Mr. Rogers was a player, Jen," Damon responded. "He knew how to work those sweater vests."

She merely rolled her eyes, shook her head and returned to spooning the ricotta and parsley mixture onto the layers of lasagna. Damon watched as Lily carefully sprinkled parmesan cheese on to the spread and couldn't help but smile. The sound of the doorbell snapped them all from their watching and cooking and a sense of awkwardness seemed to take over everyone except Lily, who hopped off her chair screaming, "I got it!"

Damon could only watch as the little girl disappeared down the hallway. It was only Jenna's calm voice that brought him back. "Elena's put on a bit of a hard shell since my sister and brother-in-laws death. You'll have to excuse her upcoming reaction. I forgot to tell her you were coming."

"Forgot?" Alaric coughed. "More like knew she wouldn't show up."

"That too." Jenna smiled.

The sound of heavy feet in the entry way and a deep laughter cause Damon to turn back towards the hallway. He came face to face with a kid in his late teens baring an eerie resemblance to Elena. His shaggy brown hair hung just below his eyebrows in a way that caused him to constantly shake his head and a pair of deep brown eyes peeked between the strands. He was dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a Grateful Dead t-shirt that he paired off with a worn-in pair of Converses. As he entered the kitchen, he threw Lily over his shoulder.

It was only when Jeremy raced toward the couch to tickle Lily that he saw her. She was dressed in faded jeans with a navy Henley and, like her brother, she had on Converses. The family must've had some kind of deal with the brand or it was pretty popular with mini Gilberts. Her hair was pin-straight and went nearly to her waist. She was dressed so casual it was almost shocking to see. Upon seeing him her eyes widened before that female death glare was aimed in his direction. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"I invited him," Alaric answered. "He's come here for Sunday dinners for as long as I can remember."

She crossed her arms over her body and shifted her weight to one side. "And you just forgot to mention this because…"

"Because I knew you wouldn't come," Jenna replied, putting the lasagna in the oven. "Damon is Lilly's godfather and he's practically a brother to Ric. He's a part of this family too."

Alaric put his arm around his wife. "And I think as partners you both need to stop walking on eggshells around each other at the office. There has to be some sort of trust between the two of you or one of you is going to end up shot or worse."

"I trust Damon to have my back," Elena stated without a hint of doubt. It was enough to bug Damon's eyes out of skull. That was the closest to a compliment she had given him. She turned towards him and let out a huff. "That wasn't me stroking your ego, by the way. Just simple fact. You're good at your job despite being a jackass."

He tried to ignore the way her voice went straight to his cock when she implied stroking anything enough to formulate a response. "Same goes for you, Gilbert. Despite being a tightass."

Her eyes narrowed but before she could answer, her brother reentered the room. "Whoa! Tension, much?" He went right for the fridge, pulling out a can of root beer, before plopping on an empty chair. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing, Jer. Mind your own business," Elena groaned.

"Nice to see I'm not the only who gets on her bitchy side." Damon held his hand out. "I'm Damon. Elena's jackass of a partner."

Jeremy shook his hand. "Jeremy. The pesky little brother."

"Looks like I'm not the only one who gets on Elena's bad side," Damon whispered with a wink. Elena heard him of course and narrowed her eyes in annoyance. It was fun seeing her like this; where she couldn't exactly have an office to escape to. He was determined to break down some of those walls tonight.

Jeremy laughed. "Not by a long shot. Any good at Grand Theft Auto?"

"Per the job description I'm completely against it but give me a console and I'm all for it."

"Do you mind, Ric?"

Alaric shook his head, laughing. "All set up in the family room."

Jumping off his seat, Jeremy nodded towards the room. "Right this way, Damon."

Damon followed mini-Gilbert and began to play one of his best performances of Grand Theft Auto to date. For some reason his coordination was stellar even with Elena ranting and raving behind his back. She wasn't exactly being subtle and her hushed whispers were carrying over into the other room. Despite Jenna's pleas more than once that he was good looking, Elena kept stating the overused nickname of him being an ass.

At some point she must've given up because the sound of stomping feet retreated from hearing distance and when he turned around she was gone. Jenna and Ric gave him apologetic glances but he wasn't having any of it. It was enough of her uncalled for attitude. So what if he was a player, that had nothing to do with her judgmental attitude. With an apology to Jeremy, he stood up and went to look for her.

He found her in the formal living room leafing through a leather bound photo album near a window seat. Small but noticeable tears were making their way down her cheeks. It was enough to stop his angry tirade until her head lifted and she gave him a look of pure hatred. "What are you stalking me now?"

"You trespassed on my Sunday dinners."

Elena scoffed. "Sunday dinners were my mother's thing. Jenna just carried on the tradition when they moved here." He noticed her eyes drift down as her fingers danced along one of the images. "Weekends are the only time I can relax and not think about work and yet here you are."

Damon found himself clenching his fists. They were going to have it out once and for all. "What the hell is your problem? Did I wrong you in another life? Steal your Barbie or something?"

"And here come the sexist comments again," Elena pointed out with a challenging arch to her brow. "Who's to say I didn't play with Tonka trucks?"

"I'm sure you were a real boy, Pinocchio. Now answer the question."

In their back and forth he had somehow managed to tower above her and she now looked up at him with hurt in her eyes. "You're a distraction," she finally answered. Her voice was low and he had almost missed her words had their not been a distinction between the syllables.

"From what? Your job? You seem pretty dedicated to me."

"I have to catch these guys, Damon." Elena turned away from him to gaze out the window.

He sat beside her and found himself reaching out to cup the side of her face. Something he never did but found himself doing. It was what his mother used to do when she comforted people. She would always say that when people felt alone they needed some type of connection in order to open up and the touch was the way to do it. Cupping someone's face was her trademark and apparently he was adopting it. "Why?" he whispered. "You never came across these guys in DC. What do they have to do with you?"

Her eyes met his, wide and open and full of trust. "Because… some other family could suffer the same fate as mine."

Damon's brows furrowed. "What are you saying, Elena?"

"I'm saying that it's my fault my parents are dead."


	5. Interrupted

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: 20 points if you can guess the hidden D/E scene in this chapter :)**

* * *

_It's my fault my parents are dead._

Damon let the words repeat over and over again in his mind. It just didn't fit. While the girl in front of him could be a pain in the ass and frustrating as hell, there was nothing about her that showed she didn't give it all for the people she cared about. She had proved that with her interaction with Alaric on his first day of meeting her. This had to be based off some deep seated guilt because none of it fit.

"I don't understand," he said. "What happened?"

For a moment, he was sure she hadn't heard him. Her face while still trapped between his hands no longer held his attention. Her eyes were looking out the window, letting haunting memories bring her miles away from him. He could tell by the desolate look on her face that whatever she was thinking about had broken her beyond repair. She put on a good front but deep down inside Elena Gilbert was just trying to pick up the pieces of who she was before her parents death. Her big brown eyes turned back towards him, filled with unshed tears that gave reasoning to her silence. She needed the time to get herself together enough to confess this to him.

She was finally going to unravel the mystery of Elena Gilbert.

…Or at least she was.

Suddenly, as in without any warning, something small and hard came crashing against him and wrapped its frail little arms around his neck. With a quick jolt, Damon turned towards the offender to find the overly joyed Lily smiling up at him. The moment he dropped his hands from Elena's face he felt the connection break. Whatever ground he had crossed tonight with Elena was quickly being retreated as his arms began to encircle his favorite little goddaughter against him. He put up a mask quickly and looked at her, "Quite the entrance, Lee Lee. I give it 4 ½ stars."

"No fair! That landing was perfect! Completely caught you off guard!" She stopped complaing when she heard Jenna calling her name from the kitchen. "Ugh! Mom wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready."

Elena stood and patted her cousin on the head. "Thanks for letting us know, Lil." She bent down. "And by the way, I give it a 5." With a quick kiss to Lilly's head, she walked out of the room without so much as a backward glance. Damon could already feel her building up the holes in her defense that she had let down for him in this room. It wasn't until he walked into the dining room, holding Lily's hand that his thoughts were confirmed.

Throughout the entire meal Elena didn't look at him, acknowledge him and whenever she was somehow forced to talk to him, she replied with clipped, cordial answers. Whatever they had found in that room was lost now. Elena's moment of weakness in the familiarity of her family had already been armored. It wouldn't be as easy to get her to open up again.

It wasn't until he cornered her outside as she tried to rush herself and Jeremy into her Ford Escape that his assumptions were confirmed. "Are we going to talk about what you said?" he questioned.

Elena waited until Jeremy hopped into the car and began to fiddle with his iPod before turning back to him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" he admonished. "On the window seat? We were talking…. All cathartic feelings exposed?"

She turned back to the car. "I don't have time for this, Damon."

He reached out grabbing hold of her arm and halting her movements. "You want to forget about it? Fine. But I can't."

"It's none of your business, Damon. Just let it go." Her eyes challenged him as she turned towards him.

"You want me to just forget the first time we actually had any semblance of a normal conversation? Maybe if you'd open up to me you'd see that I understand you a little better than you think."

Elena pulled her arm free. "It was a moment of weakness. Let. It. Go."

She stomped her way toward the driver's side of her car and hopped in. In haste, she pulled out of the Saltzman's driveway and sped down the quiet street. Damon could only watch after her as the beginnings of another plan to Operation: Gilbert Wide Open began to form.

* * *

"Salvatore? What are you doing down here in the dungeon?"

Trevor Collins was one of the top researchers for the FBI and just so happened to be the best secret keeper. His office was on one of the lowest levels of the building, typically called "the dungeon" due to its lack of windows. It was covered in monitors and flat screens and all other kinds of high tech stuff that Damon wouldn't know what to do with. Lights were flashing and papers were coming out from the fax yet the kid (and he called him a kid because that's exactly what he was—recruited fresh out of high school) still leaned back in his chair with the calm of a veteran stoner.

With a quick shake of his head, Damon sat beside Trevor in front of one of the many flashing computers. "Can't I just come down here to visit?"

"Nope," Trevor laughed. "What can I do you for? Official or off the record?"

Damon looked around, making sure there wasn't a soul in sight. There wouldn't be but it was better to be safe than sorry. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Off the record."

"Just a moment." Trevor began to flip a bunch of switches and began typing away at his main computer before settling back in his chair, folded his hands behind his head. "What can I help you with?"

"I need information on the deaths of Elena Gilbert's parents."

A smile began to form on the kids face. "Your newest partner? Can't you just ask?"

"It's… complicated." Damon replied not really wanting to get into his creepy little obsession with knowing everything he could about this infuriating girl.

"That's code for you met a girl you couldn't charm the pants off of. Haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet, but I like her already." Trevor sat back up in his chair, and pulled his personal laptop free from his messenger bag. He opened it up and began typing. "I'll get to work on it right away. Same price as always?"

"You'll have the Braves' tickets the moment I have the information."

Without looking up from his laptop, Trevor replied, "Pleasure doing business with you."

Damon stood, making his way to the door. "As always."

* * *

Damon rubbed at his face in an attempt to wake himself up. It had been a long exhausting day and Elena had worked him hard. _Not in the fun way._ With Finn's upcoming return, Elena was determined to know everything she could. In a shocking move, she had even asked Damon to quiz her about the details of the family connections and dealings. Elena was determined not to be a weak link in the take down.

She truly was a natural at this and he had never met anyone who rivaled his passion for this job. For the first time in a long time, he found himself actually seeing his partner as his equal. Elena was the first partner to come along that was on his playing field. Damon didn't need to compensate for what Elena was lacking or worry about her safety while on the job, he knew she had it covered. It was a welcomed relief but it only meant more work for them both.

And their similarities had only served to fuel his curiosity about her. He had his own darkness keeping him from truly being happy and he wondered if their shared that guilt too. Elena felt responsible for the death of a family member and Damon knew what that felt like to an extent. He found himself wanting to open up to her—a rarity of itself—but found that every time he went for it, work got in the way.

He sat knee deep in files with his computer laid out in front of him. The sound of the doorbell ringing snapped Damon out of his research. He downed what was left of his bourbon and stood, albeit a little wobbly, and made his way to the front door. As he peeked at his security system, he shook his head at his luck. Today being the day it was, he wasn't sure he had the energy for this. Damon opened the door to reveal Rebekah leaning against the door frame with a coat tucked around her body and a pair of heels that nearly brought her to his height. She wasted no time for pleasantries as she brushed past him and entered his home.

"Sure, Bex. Come right on in." Damon shut the door and turned towards her, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rebekah strode towards him, sashaying her hips. Her manicured nail started to make a path down his chest as she whispered, "You haven't been answering my phone calls, Damon."

"I've been busy."

She shook her head, refusing to accept his excuse. "All work and no play makes Damon a boring boy."

Damon lowered his lids in a smoldering way. "I've never been boring."

"I could say otherwise," she replied, stepping away from him. Her hands began to undo the sash and buttons of her jacket. "This is why I thought I'd liven things up a little."

The jacket fell from her shoulders and revealed Rebekah's naked body. Whatever energy he thought he was lacking suddenly started to build up and strain against his jeans. Work could wait till later. Much later.

* * *

The chime of his phone woke Damon up. Rebekah groaned from beside him and rolled away from him, clutching the pillow to her chest. Slowly, to not wake her, Damon reached over to his bedside to retrieve his phone. He rubbed at his eyes and unlocked his phone to reveal several texts and calls from Elena.

**From Elena Gilbert (4:09am): **_Finn and Sage just landed at Hartsfield-Jackson._

_***Missed Call: Elena Gilbert – 4:15am***_

**From Elena Gilbert (4:20am): **_Damon, answer your damn phone! They got pulled into customs on suspected illegal transportation of artifacts. They can't hold them for long! They have permits._

**From Elena Gilbert (4:38am): **_I'm not missing this chance because of you._

He immediately sat up and pulled on his briefs on and immediately started dialing Elena's number. She answered on the first ring.

"Where the hell are you?"

Damon cleared his voice as he began to walk towards the bathroom. "Home. I didn't hear my phone go off."

"It's 4:30 in the morning, Damon! Quiet down!" Rebekah groaned now tugging his comforter over her head.

"Sorry, go back to sleep," he mumbled, trying to cover up the sound so Elena didn't hear.

"Overslept?" Elena repeated with an edge of skepticism. "Sure you did. Whatever. Just call me when you're on route. Leave last night's escapade at home."

She hung up with a click and Damon slammed his fist down on the porcelain sink. "Shit!"

All the work he had done to prove to Elena that he wasn't just a man whore had gone down the drain the moment Rebekah's voice carried over the line. Did he ever catch a fucking break with this girl?


	6. Life's A Bitch

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

* * *

"There has to be something else to hold them on! My partner said he was on his way."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," a male voice said. "We've kept them longer than our protocol allows. We have to release them. They've done nothing wrong."

Damon opened the door to reveal the hectic holding room hallways at Hartsfield-Jackson. Elena was running her hands franticly through her hair. She was dressed in dark faded skinny jeans and a tank blazer with a lacey white top underneath. He couldn't focus on anything else besides how stunning this girl could look after waking up at four o'clock in the morning. Her hair while taking the brunt of her frustration was as smooth as ever and when he came to her face he nearly lost his stance. Not because of her beauty but because her gaze turned to him and looked as if she were shooting imaginary daggers towards his nether regions. Ouch.

She was pissed.

Turning (or rather hiding) from her fiery gaze, Damon address the man beside her. "Think we could get a moment alone with them while you double check their paper work?"

The man turned towards Elena and jabbed a thumb in his general direction. "Is this your partner?"

"The very same," Elena grumbled, not taking her eyes off him. Damon refused to even look in her general direction for fear he would turn to stone.

With a deep sigh, the man grumbled something about entitlement before turning around and leaving Elena and Damon alone in the hallway. From the corner of his eye, he saw Elena cross her arms over her chest and he heard the telltale sound of a heeled toe tapping against the linoleum. Damon took a breath and turned around to face her, reaching out and stilling his hand on the doorknob behind her.

"Ready for your first interaction with a Mikaelson?"

Elena gave a curt nod. "And to think, it almost didn't happen."

"Focus, Elena," Damon warned.

She reached out and put her hand over his. Damon ignored the connection. "I'm focused. I'm focusing all my anger at you towards them." Without another word, Elena turned the knob and stepped into the holding room. With its dull beige walls and black table centered within, Sage and Finn stood out worse than a Goth at a pep rally. It was ironic because rather than be dressed in all black and pouting, Sage was wearing a bright green dress and cat-like smile.

"Damon Salvatore," she purred. "Is all of this waiting just so you could see me?" She placed a hand on Finn's chest. "Love, look. Damon still hasn't gotten over his little infatuation with me."

He caught the quick movement of Elena's head as she turned towards him, her mouth agape. Rather than draw attention to it and give Sage more bait, he kept the redheads attention on him. "You're the one who came back to my neck of the woods."

Sage pouted. "How cute. London was becoming a bit dreary I'm afraid and we have Niklaus' birthday coming up as I'm sure you're well aware of. Will we be seeing you there, too?"

"No invitation I'm afraid."

"How unfortunate."

"I take it this party will be more intimate?" Elena interrupted. Sage turned her eyes on her, immediately assessing and searching for any weakness to dig her claws into. Damon had to give Elena credit; she didn't show an ounce of weakness. There wasn't a waver in her gaze or single shift in her stance. She stood tall and faced her head on.

The corner of Sage's mouth lifted. "You're new."

"Damon did tell me you were observant," Elena stated without just the right amount of sarcasm. He watched as Sage's mouth fell and her eyes narrowed and couldn't help the sense of pride that filled him at his partner's snarky response. With a smile on his face, he stepped back from the table and leaned against the wall that held the two-way mirror. She didn't need his help.

Sage leaned forward and folded her arms over the table. "Nice to see Damon finally got a partner with a little wit. He was always complaining about it when he was with me."

Elena's blank face faltered for just a moment before she quickly recovered. Damon thought he saw just the hint of jealousy and hurt before her mask of indifference covered it up. Her words from Sunday repeated in his head: _"You're a distraction."_ He hadn't given it much thought that night but now it seemed that he should have. Was there more to Elena's distance than just her dislike of his late night escapades? Did she hate him because she found herself wanting to be a part of it?

Before he could dwell on it any longer, Elena's voice cut through his thoughts. "Were you this apt to answer his questions as well? Does it take a chiseled face and a penis to get a response out of you?"

"I like your spark," Sage admitted. "Niklaus always has a big shindig. Not one for putting on tea and biscuits."

"Will all of your family be there, Finn?"

Finn let out a yawn and blinked his eyes rapidly. He wasn't one to engage in conversation and most of the time let Sage take the reins for him. It was the reason they worked well together. Sage liked to dominate from what he remembered and Finn was too much of a doormat to care. Only when she let her anger get the better of her would Finn step in and remind her that her actions reflected on the family and she needed to get it in check.

"Yes," Finn replied.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Elena pointed out as she began walking around the tiny room. "Although, I guess it comes in handy since you probably can't get a word in edgewise with this one."

"Very judgmental for a newbie."

"Oh, it's in your file. I'm just pointing it out." She made her way back to the side of the table across from them and continued in the same breath. "How many siblings do you have, Finn?"

"Doesn't it say that in your precious file?" Sage jeered.

Elena turned towards her. "Did you change your name in the last few seconds? I believe I was asking Finn." She turned her eyes expectantly towards him.

"Four."

"That would be Klaus, Elijah, Kol…" she trailed off. "Now who is that last one? I always seem to forget."

"B—"

"Are we under arrest?" Sage interrupted, placing a firm hand on her husband's shoulder.

"No. We're just having a casual conversation until your papers are returned to you."

Sage leaned back and put her arm around her husband, massaging his scalp with her fingernails. "Seems more like routine questioning to me," she mused. A knock on the door quickly cut the building tension in the room and the airport worker entered. He quickly returned the papers to Sage and Finn who quickly grabbed their things and began to make their way out the door. Just when they were in the clear, Sage turned towards Elena and said, "It was nice seeing you again, Damon, and a pleasure meeting you, Elena. We'll be seeing you soon!"

And with that they turned and disappeared from sight. Damon turned towards Elena who was still staring at the doorway as if suddenly Finn would come running back in to finish the name of his sister. "I warned you it wasn't going to be easy. You did amazing though. At least we have an initial to go off of now."

"We have nothing, Damon," Elena whispered. "That could've been a 'but' for all we know."

Damon stepped towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Did you not see Sage's reaction? He gave a little too much away. This is a huge step forward. It's more than we've had in years."

Elena slipped her bottom lip between her teeth and he found himself mesmerized by the action. As it popped out her eyes glanced up towards his. "You slept with her, didn't you?"

He was taken aback by the sudden change in conversation. Quietly, he responded, "I was undercover while Finn was doing a stint in prison for drug dealing. We hoped Sage would squeal but as you can tell… she's a pistol."

"You didn't answer the question."

Damon couldn't speak when he looked at her like that. It made no sense to him, but he found himself ashamed of his actions. He never found himself regretting his past yet in that moment with Elena's eyes searching his, he did. Damon nodded.

"I thought so." She inhaled and gave a slow shake of her head before stepping out of his arms. "Is there anyone I've met that you haven't slept with?" she gave him a joking smile but he saw the sadness behind it. It confused him.

"This honesty and joking around thing is nice. Would be nice if it went both ways."

Elena huffed and began to walk out of the room. "Life's a mystery, Damon, and so am I."

"You know what else life is?" he called after her as she disappeared. "A bitch."

He swore he heard her laugh echoing down the hallway.

* * *

The shrill ringtone of his phone woke Damon up with a jolt. He fumbled around his nightstand in search of the offending technology and immediately swiped to answer. "Salvatore?"

"Damon, its Trevor. I've hit a bit of a bump with your little off the record assignment."

Rubbing his eyes with the palm of his free hand, Damon mumbled, "What kind of problem?"

"I can't find a single record that shows the nature in which Miranda and Grayson Gilbert died."

"How is that possible?"

As Trevor talked, he heard the quick typing of keys. "There's an obituary and two death certificates but cause of death has been blurred out. Every lead I get has been labeled classified and even I can't hack into it. This is a serious cover-up. Top clearance with access codes and everything."

Damon sat up and made his way towards the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out amidst the darkness. "Did you run it with newspaper articles surrounding the date?"

"Of course," Trevor stated, typing furiously on his keyboard. "It was the first thing I tried. Nothing. No hits. Nothing that would result in two deaths."

"She went to serious trouble to cover this up. None of it makes any sense."

More clicking. "The only explanation would be that their deaths were somehow connected to an assignment—a top secret assignment."

Another dead end. Damon sighed. "Thanks for your help, Trevor."

"I'll keep looking but it doesn't look like I'll be much help."

"The tickets are still yours."

"Thanks, man."

Damon hung up and threw his phone on the bed. The curiosity was eating away at him. He looked out and saw thousands of trees surrounding him. The darkness. He hated the unknown. To the unknown eye it would seem foolish to venture out into those woods that bore no trail. Yet Damon had done it a thousand times. His brother, Stefan, and called him crazy for wanting to go into them at night when they were young. Yet, Damon was determined and now he knew those woods like the back of his hand. That was how he liked it. He liked having the upper hand.

He certainly didn't feel like he did lately.

The mystery of Elena Gilbert had taken that from him. He was walking on eggshells just as Alaric had accused him of. That wasn't his way. He solved things for a living. Whatever happened in Elena's past was keeping her from opening up to him, to getting close. They were constantly back and forth. He had these moments with her where it felt like they could be the best of friends and then suddenly it would flip and she would start distancing herself again. It was getting in the way of his work ethic, keeping his mind off the job.

In a short description: He was obsessed. That in itself was enough to drive him crazy. Damon Salvatore did not get obsessed about women. They got obsessed with him.

It was about time he brought in more help on Operation: Gilbert Wide Open and he knew just who to call. He reached for his cell phone and sent out a text knowing this person would respond within in seconds. Sure enough his phone suddenly chimed in his hand.

_Be there soon._


	7. Let It Burn

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. I was sick and now my puppy is sick and my future sister in law had her bridal shower so I couldn't even get a moment to myself to update this until now. The great thing is I have this mostly outlined so the only delay should be weaving the words to convey the story I'm trying to tell. Anyways… since I kept you waiting long enough… Here's it is! **

**Now who could Damon have texted for help on Operation: Gilbert Wide Open….**

* * *

Hearing the sound of his doorbell, Damon made his way to the front door. The chime was still echoing throughout his home and through all his stress he couldn't help but groan. He was getting some generic doorbell first thing in the morning. With a quick twist of the knob, he opened the door to reveal a blonde with a barely there dress.

"You like?" she crooned, running her hands along her sides to smooth the fabric.

"Are you just getting done partying?" Damon looked down at his watch. "It nearly 4am."

Rebekah stepped over the threshold, running a finger along his bare chest. "Just because you're a grumpy old man doesn't mean I have to stay home and knit waiting for you to text me."

"I work during the week. We can't all be living off old money." He followed her into the parlor where she had begun to make herself home. She sat down on one of the couches and slipped off her heels. Her hand began to rub at her sore feet before she patted down the cushion next to her.

"Say the man living in his family's mansion," she teased, placing her feet on his lap once he sat down. "So what are you doing up this late; or early if you wish to be technical?"

Damon placed his arm along the back of the couch and let his other rest upon the arm. There was no way he was rubbing her feet. He didn't _do_ foot massages. "I actually have company stopping over."

"Do you have another fuck buddy, Damon Salvatore? Because I might be a little wounded if you do." She kept her face light and teasing but he was well trained in reading people and he saw the jealousy and anger that burned behind her eyes. There was definitely a dark side to this girl and he had no interest in witnessing it firsthand.

Before he could respond, that damned doorbell rang again. "Wait and see…"

Rebekah maneuvered herself to get a glimpse through the open glass. "I think I'll make a quick exit. I'll see you soon, Damon." She placed a quick kiss on his lips and disappeared out the back door.

Damon watched after her. That vengeful look that haunted her eyes still plagued him. What was he even doing with Rebekah? It wasn't like he was falling for her. It wasn't even like he enjoyed her company all that much. She was a great lay, uninhibited, adventurous; there wasn't a thing the girl denied him. He enjoyed having that freedom and her eagerness to be with him kept him interested but tonight something changed. She reminded him of the very reason he never went with the same girl twice. They weren't even exclusive and the jealousy was brewing. She may act like she could handle his lifestyle but it was clear she didn't. Damon knew it was only a matter of time before he had to end it.

He heard the noise signaling her exit and put all thoughts of Rebekah out of his mind. There were bigger things to focus on. He opened the door and smiled at his best friend. "Took you long enough."

"You texted me at 3am. You're lucky I even showed." Alaric sighed, clearly exhausted from the work week. "What's so important it couldn't wait till morning?"

"I have to talk to you about something." Damon began to talk only to stop short. "It kind of puts me in a bad light but I swear I only have good intentions."

"What's all this about, Damon?" He was in full boss mode now. His arms were crossed over body and his voice held a no-nonsense tone that dared to be threatened with just so it could go off on the idiot. It made what Damon had to say all the more difficult. How exactly did you tell your boss-slash-best-friend that you were semi-stalking his niece?

It was sad and pathetic and the very thing he could accuse Rebekah of. Somewhere in this search of needing to know Elena Gilbert he had crossed some serious boundaries. He hated himself for it, for being so weak and letting this girl become his obsession but there was just something about her. There was something between them and he couldn't let her keep them from reaching their full potential. He was determined to find out her secret and break down that damned wall barrier that kept her from truly opening up to him. The words came out in a rush, the metaphorical Band-Aid ripped in one swift pull. "I hired Trevor to look into Elena's past."

"Tell me you're kidding."

"I was more than a little curious about my latest partner."

With his fists now balling tight at his side, Ric stared at his best friend with accusatory eyes. "This is a huge invasion of her privacy. I can't believe you of all people would stoop this low."

Damon sat down and put his head in his hands. "I need to know, Alaric. I need to know why whatever tragic thing happened in her past stops her from letting me in. How does my man-whoring affect her parents death?"

"All I'm hearing is selfishness. What about Elena?" Alaric began passing in front of him. "It's not just about you, Damon. Elena made sure that no one knew about what happened outside her immediate family."

"I never said I wasn't selfish by nature," he attempted to joke. The look in Ric's eyes stopped his smirk short. "I just want to help. We're partners."

"That doesn't give you a free pass into her personal life," he yelled. "Put yourself in her shoes, Damon. What if she asked for your files? What if she found out about Stefan without it coming from you?"

The reminder that Damon had his own secrets to protect was the reality check he needed. "You're right."

"Damn right I am," Alaric agreed. He placed a hand on Damon's shoulder. "She needs to focus on work now and your charm could only get in the way of that. I warned her about you because I know this is something she needs. She needs to focus on work and not building relationships. You're a workaholic. You should get that."

Damon dropped his hands from his face. "I take it you're not going to tell me the big secret than."

"What do you think?"

"It was worth a shot," he shrugged. "That's why I called you over. I was hoping I could booze you up and get it out of you. Guess Operation: Gilbert Wide Open is a bust."

Alaric did a double take. "What did you just say? You made up a code name?"

"It made it seem legit."

Ric shook his head. "You're seriously messed up." They were silent for a moment as Ric laughed at his best friend's expense. Then he asked the one question that had been plaguing Damon since this whole thing began. "Why the obsession with her?"

"What?" Damon questioned. In the silence he had got lost in his own demons. The memories of that fateful night that changed his brother's life forever—not to mention his own—flashed through his mind. Alaric had been right. He, more than anyone, should understand why Elena shrouded her life in secrets and kept people at a distance, choosing instead to lose herself in work. He had done the exact same thing following a family trauma.

"What's so special about Elena that has caused you to go off the rails?" Alaric has a knowing smile on his face. It confused Damon.

"I've been asking myself the same question. She's infuriating, stubborn. I have no idea why I even _want_ to know more about her." He found himself smiling as he thought of the other morning and the way her laughter ricochet down the empty hallway. "But she has this fire about her. She's smart and witty. She certainly gave Sage a run for her money; nearly got Finn to fess up. There's just… something."

That knowing smile on Alaric's face grew. "Mm hmm, I know the feeling."

"You do?" Damon asked, instantly curious.

"But that's for another day. I don't think you're ready for that yet." Alaric stood, brushing away imaginary dust from his slacks. "I guess I'll head into the office early," he said pointedly.

"Sorry, I got a little desperate."

Alaric nodded. "I can see that." He went to move towards the door and Damon stood to walk him out. Just as they reached it however Alaric stopped and turned around. "Look, I think you should be upfront with Elena and apologize. It'll sound better if you say it now rather than later."

Damon nodded. He expected no less coming from her uncle. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"You can expect an overload of papers on your desk when you do."

* * *

He watched Elena talking animatedly to one of her co-workers. She was smiling and laughing and seemed just so full of life. He couldn't even imagine looking at her now that such darkness existed in her past that it needed to be covered up. It was her darkness because underneath that infection smile was a girl who blamed herself for her parent's death. Even though the curiosity over how exactly she played a hand in her parent's death was enough to bring him to the extreme he had called Trevor and ended the search for information. There was only one thing left to do.

Damon wasn't looking forward to it.

When the conversation with their co-workers ended, Elena turned and began to walk back to her office. The smile was gone and her face became lit with the determination he had grown used to. What he was about to do was going to send them back about a billion steps but Alaric had been right. Damon needed to be honest with her if they had any chance in hell of forging any time of relationship be it professional or otherwise.

Damon jumped up from his desk and walked quickly towards the door. "Elena? Can you come in for a minute?"

A smile formed on her face as she followed him into his office. Seeing her smile so genuine towards him unaware of what he was about to was enough to break his heart. Damon leaned against the front of his desk, arms braced against the top. Elena sat down in front of him and looked up into his eyes. He let himself enjoy this moment where there was no sarcasm, no yelling, no faux smiles between them. They were about to go back to the beginning and she had no idea.

"I did something that I'm ashamed of and I hope you can forgive me."

Elena shut her eyes and took a deep breath before leaning back in her chair, her long legs crossed. "What did you do now?"

Now it was Damon's turn to steel himself for the argument that was about to come. "I hired an investigator here to look into your parents' death."

She was shell-shocked. There was no other way to put it. Her bottom jaw was slack as she stared at him with unblinking eyes. "You did what?" she breathed. "Y-You looked into my parents' death? How c-could you?"

"The curiosity got the better of me. I'm so sorry."

Her head was shaking back and forth as her eyes stared holes into the carpeted floor. "This is exactly why I don't open up to people. This is why I don't let people in. I share one little confession about my past—something I'm ashamed of, something that's haunted me since it happened—and you invade my past using company resources?"

As she stood up abruptly, it was all Damon could to do to get out of the way of her now flailing arms. She was pissed, upset, hurt; and it was all his fault. "I know and I'm sorry, Elena. You have no idea how sorry I am."

"I can't believe I actually thought we could reach some sort of understanding. That we could actually be friends!" Her hands went into her hair. "Friends don't treat other friends like some kind of assignment."

Damon didn't know where he got the courage to say what he did next, but he somehow did. "Friends also open up to each other. How can you trust me to have your back in the field yet not trust me with something like this? Did you ever think maybe I could understand it a little more than you think?"

"You will _never _understand it, Damon. No one will! This is _my_ burden to carry. _My_ secret to tell." She walked towards the door, her steps heavy. With her hand gripping hold of the doorknob she whispered, "You betrayed that. If you understood you wouldn't have done what you did."

Elena opened the door and slammed it closed behind her. He watched as she made her way towards Alaric's office, no doubt to confess Damon's misdoings. Even though it was short lived, he could physically feel the connection between them break. Since their first meeting they had crossed a few bridges and with one confession he had all but burned them down.

He wasn't sure if he should just let them burn or get started on the repairs.

While Elena may be right and have no reason to forgive him, he couldn't give up after they had come so far. He messed up and owned it. The only thing to do now was to make it up to her and prove that he was worth her forgiveness. With newfound determination he strode towards Alaric's office. It's a good thing he wasn't one to give up without a fight; and Elena Gilbert was worth fighting for.


	8. Cutting Losses

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: I sneaked in another DE scene ;) Any guesses which one? Those of you who questioned the state of D/E's relationship at the moment may have a bit of a clue per my response.**

* * *

"I can't work with him anymore, Ric! I tried. I really did but he crossed a line!"

As he knocked on his boss' door, Damon heard the words he had dreaded since this whole thing began. Alaric called him into the room and he saw the stressed face of his best friend pleading with him to make it right. Elena stood near his desk with her arms crossed over her chest and a furious look upon her face. Those daggers were aimed at him again and he almost wanted to smile at the déjà vu… _almost_.

Taking his time, Damon stepped into the room and took a seat on the opposing side of the room Elena stood. He still had some sense of self-preservation left. "Three hints as to what you two are talking about." He leaned against the wall.

"Are you ever serious?" Elena questioned, her attitude seeping through her tone.

Damon thought it over. "On rare occasions," he offered.

Elena groaned. "Do you see what I mean? I can't take it anymore."

Interjecting before Alaric could speak, Damon jumped in. "I already apologized, Elena. I feel horrible. You're right. It was your secret to tell and I betrayed what little trust you already had in me."

"What I don't understand is how you have time for your own little assignment into my privacy when we have a crime family to take down." Elena placed both her hands on Ric's desk. "Maybe if you put as much effort into your extracurricular activities—and I do mean all of them—maybe this case would be finished by now."

Damon mimicked her stance, placing his own hands on the table and staring her down. "Then we never would've had the pleasure of meeting."

Glaring at him, she responded pointedly, "Precisely."

"Oh, come on, 'Lena. You don't really mean that."

Elena groaned and removed her hands from the desk. "Do not call me ''Lena'."

"Really?" Damon pouted. "I thought we had reached the pet name stage of our relationship."

"I have a pet name for you, you first rate jackas—"

"Enough!" Alaric shouted, standing up from his chair. "This is not appropriate behavior in the workplace. Do not make me call HR. I expect better." He turned towards Elena. "From both of you."

Elena threw her hands up in the air. "Why am I getting in trouble? He's the one who's paying your researchers money under the table to get personal information about your employees. Call HR about that!"

"How many times do I have to apologize, Elena?"

She was quiet for a moment before quietly stating, "Until you can build a time machine and go back and undo what you did."

Damon put his mouth in a flat line and nodded. "I'll get right on that."

"I don't understand you, Damon. You say you want to be my friend and yet you do something like this."

He walked over and took a seat in front of Alaric's desk. His boss had his hands folded in front of him as he watched the back and forth verbal tennis match take a quick change. The room was eerily quiet; with only the sound of Ric tapping his foot beneath the desk to fill the silence. Damon sighed. "Let's be honest here. Lay our souls bare and what have you." He stared into Elena's eyes, taking note of her discomfort. "There was no chance of you and me ever becoming friends. You made that abundantly clear the first day I met you. You were assigned to me because you could keep up with me. You merely put up with me. Don't try to make me believe otherwise."

"I think you two got off on the wrong foot," Ric stated. "Elena, you are free to put in your request for a new partner but I beg of you to reconsider."

Elena narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying this as my boss or his best friend?"

"I'm saying this as an observer. You two are great together and I think my decision to divulge Damon's indiscretions has robbed you of a true chance of seeing that. I didn't pair you up just because of your well-matched wit but because you two could really use one another." He leaned back in his chair. "I'm asking you to give it a fresh start. Have a second chance at a first meeting."

The phone rand and Ric answered it. He answered with short, clipped responses before hanging up and staring at the two of them. Alaric rubbed his forehead and shook his head at the mess he believed he caused. He reached for his stress ball and began squeezing it before he spoke.

"There's a situation at the Grille. Can we put this little argument on hold? I need you both there ASAP."

Damon turned towards Elena, waiting for her response. It was really her call after all. He was willing to fight to make this right. Hell, he'd put up with acquaintances if it meant that all this mess would just go away. He wanted more. He wanted to truly be considered her friend, but at this point he would take what he could get.

Elena let out a deep breath. "Yeah, it can wait. Let's go."

As she turned and exited the office, Damon lingered behind to talk to Ric. "Think I have any chance of fixing this?"

"You will if you play your cards right. I'll give you one hint."

"What's that?"

Alaric smiled. "Beg. Get down on your knees and beg."

Damon shook his head and retreated from the room. He caught up with Elena and followed her silently down to the parking garage. As they made their way towards the generic car, Damon fumbled for the keys and unlocked it. Just as Elena went to open the passenger side, Damon intervened and blocked her. She looked up at him, clearly irritated.

"Can we just go?"

He looked down at his feet before meeting her eyes again. "You have every right to hate me. I understand. You hated me before and we became friends. It would suck if that was gone forever." His gaze dropped once more. "So, is it? Have I lost you forever?"

Elena was silent. When Damon was finally able to look back up at her again, she answered. "We're going to be late."

Frowning, Damon nodded and let her pass. She hopped into the car and he shut the door closed. Making his way to the other side he thought about how screwed up this whole thing was. It was all his fault. He knew this. What he didn't think about during his little adventure into his partner's past was the hurt he would feel at her dismissal. He couldn't lose her now. Not when every part of him was begging to get closer.

* * *

The state of the Grille was utter chaos. Thousands of cop cars surrounded the town staple as people in suits held position with guns poised. Kol Mikaelson was inside beating on its owner as its constituents continued to run and scream as they exited the building. The Grille had been one of the few establishments not under Mikaelson control and it drove the family crazy. It seemed Klaus had sent his unpredictable brother to deal with the consequences. Not exactly his smartest decision in the middle of the day.

"What's the status of Matt Donovan?"

Elena's mouth dropped. "Matt Donovan owns the Grille?"

"Yes," Damon stated. He took in her look of distress. "What's going on? Do you know the guy?"

She nodded. "He was my high school boyfriend. Is he okay?"

The uniform released his hold on the walkie talkie placed on his shoulder. "Witnesses confirm that he's being pretty badly beaten. No sound of gunshots. Not yet anyway."

"We have to get in there and make him stop. Matt doesn't deserve this."

"No one does," Damon pointed out.

Frantically, Elena ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes studied the Grille, no doubt searching for some way to get her ex-boyfriend out. A woman with long brown hair ran towards them screaming his partners' name. "Vicki?!"

"Elena! Matty's in there! You have to help him!"

She placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and squeezed. "Don't worry. I'm going to get him out."

"The Mikaelson's have been relentless, Elena. They keep dropping by trying to get control of the Grille but Matt won't give it up. I told him it wasn't worth dying over but he refused to give in. I can't lose my brother, Elena. I just can't."

"Your brother is a brave man. We'll do our best to get him out."

"No," Elena corrected, "we're going to get him out. I promise."

The woman muttered thank you before returning to the crowd and being embraced by a few of the people surrounding her. Her face was stained with tears and she clutched at her chest while she watched the scene in front of her. Damon turned towards Elena. "Why did you promise her something like that? That's a rookie mistake and last I checked you were way too overqualified for that title."

"Because I need to save him, Damon." A look of determination took over her fear. "We're getting in there and I know just how to do it."

Damon balked. "We have protocol."

"I don't care. We're going in through the back. We're getting him out."

He stared at her, noting her look. She was going to do this with or without his help and she had a better chance of surviving with him by her side. "Alright. But you have to promise you'll consider giving us a fresh start."

"I promise. Just help me."

They moved away from the crowd and followed the alleyway to the back entrance. Elena led the way and quietly opened the door. Damon had her six as she maneuvered through the narrow hallways. As they walked further inside the louder the commotion in the front got. Elena cringed every time she heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh with a following cry of pain from Matt. She paused at a door and motioned with her hands that Kol and Matt were just on the other side.

Damon nodded and moved to kick open the door. Elena stepped back, prepared to rush the room the second it was clear. At her nod, Damon kicked the door open, following Elena into the room. They aimed their gun at Kol who was standing over Matt wielding a knife. Matt was covered in his own blood and from the corner of Damon's eyes, he saw Elena's face harden.

"Drop the knife!" she screamed.

Kol merely chuckled. "They finally paired you up with a woman, Salvatore. And a damn fine one at that."

"I wouldn't discredit her so quickly. She's the one holding the gun aimed at your skull." Damon smiled. "Who brings a knife to a gun fight anyways?"

"It wasn't a gun fight until you two came barging in. Poor Matt here is going to have to pay for that door. A little difficult when you're so strapped for cash, isn't it?" Kol stood up straight then and began tossing the knife back and forth between his hands. He focused on Elena. "It's not exactly fair when it's two to one, is it, love?"

"Not exactly fair torturing an unarmed man just because your family can't have their way."

Kol shrugged. "I never was on for semantics. Unlike you two, I follow orders. This little stunt of yours isn't exactly textbook protocol."

"Why don't you drop the weapon and we can discuss semantics and protocol downtown?"

With a laugh, he lifted the knife to scratch along his neck. "I don't plan on going down without a fight just so you know."

"Good thing we're prepared for one," Damon replied, pressing the trigger just enough so that it didn't go off.

"Now which one of you should I go for first," Kol contemplated. "Let's see… Eenie, meanie, miney…" Without warning, he through the knife in Elena's direction aimed directly for her neck. Damon could tell by the shift in his stance the direction of the knife and without thinking, dove in front of her. The knife dug into his shoulder just as he heard a gunshot go off. He groaned in pain as Elena quickly pushed him off her and raced towards where Kol now laid.

Elena bent down and felt for his pulse. "He's dead." She looked up towards Matt. "Are you okay?"

Matt nodded. "I can't believe you're here, Elena. When did you get back in town?"

"Elena…" Damon groaned, feeling the pain in his shoulder. "Can memory lane wait to be traveled down? I need a little help here."

"One second, Matt." Elena reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. "Sir, the attacker has been put down. The target is safe. Damon's been wounded. I need a medic."

She hung up and kneeled beside him, hesitating her hands over the handle. Damon rolled his eyes. "Just pull it out. Pull the damn thing out. It hurts."

"Are you sure I should be doing this? The medics will be here."

"I can't reach it. Just pull it out and put something on it to stop the bleeding."

Elena gripped the knife and in one swift pull, removed it from Damon's shoulder. He heard the sound of fabric tearing before the feeling of pressure at the wound. Damon turned his head and saw that she had ripped off the bottom of her shirt to use to stop the bleeding. He saw the flatness of her abdomen and just the hint of muscles before she tugged her jacket close and stared at him pointedly.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly.

"I'm sure you are."

Damon gave her a lopsided smile. "I did save your life. That had to knock down that little wall you have built up just a little bit."

"If you hadn't rushed me maybe Kol would still be alive and we'd have a Mikaelson in custody."

"You're seriously blaming me for this?"

Before Elena could respond, medics and police came rushing in and tended to him. She stood and made her way towards Matt, focusing her attention to make sure he would get the best care. It all went by in a frenzy and before long Damon was being bandaged as she walked back towards him. He saw her hardened state and realized that whatever hope he had clung to while she pleaded with him to save her ex-boyfriend hadn't been real. She used him to get what she wanted. There was no hoping of patching things up no matter how much he apologized.

"How is he?" he questioned without meeting her eyes.

She kicked at a pebble in the street. "He'll survive. He's going to need a lot of stitches and he'll be at the hospital overnight but it could've been worse." She took a deep breath. "Look about what you asked me before…"

"I already know the answer."

"You do?"

"Yup," he replied, popping the 'p'. The two of them stood and began making their way to the car. "You used me today."

Elena met his eyes. "You weren't going to help me if I didn't promise."

Suddenly, Elena's phone went off. She answered as if they hadn't just been in the middle of a deep confession; as if her lying to him didn't affect her at all. So much for friendship. He heard her muffled responses as she paced away from him. Eventually, she hung up and began tapping the phone against her other hand.

"So, we're raiding the Mikaelson house. They found narcotics with Klaus' signature on it in Kol's car. Are you going to be able to come?"

The truth was he was more than able. The medic had cleared him stating how lucky he was that the knife hadn't gone deeper. She just slapped some cream and a bandage on him and told him he was free to go. There was no way he was telling Elena that not when she had told him it was his fault her shot into Kol turned fatal. See if she could do this without him. It's not like he cared anymore.

"No, I think I'll go home and rest. Work on another assignment to help finalize things."

Elena seemed shocked at his answer. She quickly recovered. "Oh, okay."

He opened the driver side door for her and once again blocked her from getting inside. He decided to mask his hurt with humor. It's what he did, wasn't? Damon Salvatore didn't feel. He was cold and heartless. Why should anyone care about him? Want to be friends with him?

Damon pouted, taking note of her disappointed face. Her façade was slipping. "Look at you so upset for working alone the first time."

Her eyes challenged him. It seemed he had hit a nerve. Elena Gilbert didn't like being told she couldn't do it on her own. "You're the one who's scared of not having me around to save your ass. That's the only reason you're working so hard to keep me as your partner. I'm your last chance. Without me you're heading straight for a desk job."

Damon nodded. The fight had all but left him. There was no use trying to make this work when she was she through the honesty right back in his face. Unknowingly she had answered his personal dilemma. That's what this connection was. He was merely keeping her around because he had no other choice. She was his lifeline. Somewhere along the way of being independent he had been doomed to rely on the one person who wanted nothing to do with him.

"You got it." He placed his hand on the top of the car. "Look, I'm going to catch a ride with one of the uni's. Take care, Elena."

"Always do."

He stepped from the car and watched her get inside and drove away; away from him. He slammed his fist against a nearby street sign and held his white knuckled and bloody fist against his side. It was hopeless. There was no way she was staying his partner after tonight's events. He had put things into motion the second he invaded her privacy but she was going to put an end to them once she saw how well she could do on her own. Taking his phone out he called Rebekah to come pick him up. Might as well cut all his losses tonight.


	9. Stubborn

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Some of you seemed to have missed the point behind the ending line and Damon's phone call to Rebekah. Maybe this will clear it up…**

* * *

He was sulking. There was no other word to describe the pathetic state he was in. Damon was so used to getting his way; so used to having the world at his beck and call that he was never prepared for when Elena Gilbert would rip it out from under him. It was as if he was completely off balance; not sure what he or who could hold on to. It wasn't like he couldn't complain to Ric; the girl was his family, after all. This entire mess was all her fault. She had completely ruined him.

Damon nursed his bleeding hand, a little pissed off that he hadn't taken out his frustration on that sign while the medics had still been here. He sat on the curb outside of the Grille, watching as the last remaining cop cares disappeared down the street. The townspeople and tourists still seemed to be steering clear after the commotion which he was thankful for. He needed some quiet to fall further down his hole of self-loathing.

Only the thought that Elena Gilbert was to blame helped him resurface.

A part of him rued the day Elena walked into his life with her long legs and snappy attitude. He never questioned himself before her. Never had any need to. People admired him, wanted to be him or be with him. What the hell was wrong with that? Then she came along and stirred the pot and he couldn't even have a run of the mill booty call without feeling guilty. He hated her.

Maybe something would go wrong with the mission to show her that she wasn't the overconfident agent she believed herself to be. That _she_ actually needed _his_ help.

Then he hated himself for even thinking that.

It all came in stages. He would be angry, then vengeful, then depressed. It cycled and repeated until he wasn't even aware that Rebekah's sleek convertible pulled up in front of him. She honked her horn, snapping him back into focus. Damon slowly stood, feeling the aching in his muscles from being frozen for so long. He cracked his neck and walked towards the car, trying not to cringe as Rebekah danced in her seat.

She smiled at him; a smile which quickly fell when she noticed the bloody hand he cradled. He smirked at her concern. He wasn't cradling it because he was in pain (he was but he had worse). He held it tightly to him so that the blood spilled on his borrowed shirt and jeans and not her precious tan leather seats.

"Damon, oh my! Are you okay? You're hurt!" Rebekah cried.

Damon looked out the window. "I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle."

Her eyes scanned their surroundings through her tinted windows. They were illegal but he wasn't in the right mind to care. "Did something go wrong?"

He scoffed. "Yeah, I'm going to be stuck working a desk for the rest of my life."

"Why do you say that?"

"My partner is going to ask to be reassigned because apparently it is somehow my fault that Kol Mikaelson is dead." He scoffed. "Last time I try to save her life."

Rebekah was silent for a moment and Damon noticed the way her hands repeatedly tightened on the steering wheel. That was odd. Facing the dashboard, she asked in a steady, controlled voice, "Your partner killed Kol?"

"Apparently she was shooting to wound not kill and my little rescue mission for her life got in the way of that."

"But it was her gun that fired?"

Damon looked at her, curiously, noting the indifference in her expression. "Yeah… Why is that so important?"

Rebekah quickly relaxed her tense body, maneuvering in her seat and placing the car in drive. "Just making sure you didn't have something like that on your conscious, love." She remained quiet the rest of the drive, save for the singing which was constant and shrill. By the time they reached the parking garage of his office, her odd behavior was all but gone from his mind.

She promised to meet him at a nearby hotel; claiming that her apartment was having its floors finished. Damon agreed and made his way to his Camaro. As he turned the corner to where his car was parked, he spotted a familiar frame leaning against the hood. He took a deep breath.

Could this day get any worse?

Damon continued towards him, shaking his head. "Is sitting on top of the love of my life really good for your health, Ric?"

"Is leaving your partner alone on her first raid here really good for yours?"

Pushing passed him, Damon wretched his door open. "I don't have time for this. In case it was in her debriefing, I was nearly killed today. I'd like a little down time."

"Is that the reason you gave her? We both know that's bullshit. You've had worse. It didn't stop you then."

"Well, it's stopping me now. It's been a long day."

Ric placed his hands on the door. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fight this afternoon, would it?"

"So what if it did? She thinks she's better without me. Let's give her a trial run." Damon shrugged, wanting to get out of here. "She's not completely by herself. The lackeys are there."

"Damon, normally I put up with your stunts but this time you're putting my niece's life in danger and that's just not something I can go along with."

Tapping his foot against the gas pedal, Damon starred ahead and clenched his teeth. "She's going to ask to be reassigned. It's about time I get used to missing out on the action."

Ric slapped the back of his head, causing Damon to wince. "Get your ass back in that office or there will certainly be more action coming your way."

"Are you coming on to me, Ric? 'Cause I'm not sure Jenna would like that." He smirked, his eyes alight with mirth.

"Get serious, Salvatore!"

"Look. Elena doesn't need or want my assistance. Apparently saving her life gets other people killed so maybe it's better I'm just not there."

Alaric furrowed his brows. "She blamed you?"

Damon laughed. "Skipped over that little detail, did she? Not surprising since she's little Miss Covert Ops."

"Damon, I'm asking you to just get up there and fix this and not let both of your stubborn personalities get one of you killed."

"She'll be fine, Ric," he sang. "She's a pro. She's got this." Damon stepped on the gas and saw Alaric quickly step back from the corner of his eye. He sped out of the parking lot, not bothering to look back. He knew the sight of Alaric whether sad or pissed would be reason enough for him to turn around and go back on everything he promised himself. Still, as the FBI building became smaller in his rearview mirror he couldn't fight the guilt that washed over him.

* * *

"Took you long enough," Rebekah crooned as she opened the door, already leaning in for a kiss.

Damon turned his cheek. "Got stuck at work."

Her lips collided with his cheek as her body faltered at his change in behavior. "Is something wrong," she asked as she pulled away from him, her hands grabbing hold of his arms to steady her.

"Just a long day," Damon replied. _And it's about to get longer._

Rebekah's hands slid down his body and underneath the shirt he was wearing. Her cool hands ran along his abdomen as her mouth began to kiss along his jaw. "Let me help relieve some of that tension."

Damon closed his eyes, trying to feel something; anything. It was no use. All he felt were cold hands that were all wrong and a voice that forced him to cringe. None of this was right and for the first time in a long time he couldn't just go along with it. He couldn't just get lost in the sensation of her hands on him as she went to undo his belt. He couldn't convince himself that this was better than having a warm body that was familiar; that you loved and worshipped and cared for. His body wouldn't even respond to her hands on him.

"Rebekah?" She hummed against his neck, her tongue darting out and running a trail to the hem of his shirt. "I need you to stop."

Her hands stilled just long enough for Damon to pull them off him. As her eyes drifted up to his, he stepped back to give himself the personal space needed to get this out. Judging by her frozen appearance she was still in shock. It made sense. Usually it didn't take long before he had her back on the bed, calling out his name.

"Excuse me?" she finally got the words out. Her eyes were filled with murderous rage and Damon was reminded of her jealousy from this morning.

"I can't do this anymore." He fastened his buckle. "I have somewhere I have to be."

He only hoped it wasn't already too late. He had taken his time getting to Rebekah's. By now, the raid would have already started but he hoped with his trustful Camaro he could get there before any of the good stuff happened. Damon leaned forward to kiss her cheek only to be met with the forceful blow of her fist against his nose.

"What the fuck?" he screamed, clutching his nose.

"No one ends things with me, Damon Salvatore. This will stop when I say it does."

Damon groaned and pulled one of his hands away. Yup. He was bleeding.

Rebekah continued her rant. "Are you going off to save your precious partner? Get a clue, Damon. She doesn't care about you. Not like I do."

Before she could speak any longer, her phone rang. It was the distraction Damon needed. Rebekah turned towards the phone and walked to answer it before the call ended and he took that moment to slip out of the hotel. He raced towards the stairs still clutching his nose. Taking the stairs two at a time, he was out of the building in no time. He raced towards the car; promising himself to do a background check before he slipped into bed with another woman again. Not that he planned on doing anymore one night stands in the near future.

As he raced down the main street of town, a look at the clock told him he would never make it in time. At this rate the raid was over and the cleanup and processing would begin. He turned around and began heading towards his office figuring he would wait for them to return. He would make this right. It was his prying that had started this mess and even if Elena had been irrational and rude, he understood.

Damon parked into his usual spot and got out. Just as he was about to make his way to the elevator leading upstairs, his phone rang in his pocket. He answered right away. "Salvatore."

There was a pause. "Voice recognition confirms your identity," the dispatcher said.

"Good news or bad news?" Damon questioned, instantly on alert. He leaned against the side of a nearby car, fearing the worst. There was no reason for the dispatcher to be calling him unless something had gone horribly wrong.

"Bad news," he stated, sounding grim. "Gilbert was shot."


	10. Guilt

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I went to Upfronts this past Thursday and finally got to see Nina in person! I was so wound up from that and THE AMAZING FINALE that there was no way I could update until now. So happy for Damon/Elena and for Jeremy to be back (so sad about Ric being alone on the other side), and finally Stefan for getting a decent storyline! This whole Silas "shadow self" business should be interesting. Right along with Human!Kat! OMG. **

**Anyways... Enjoy the update! xx**

* * *

Grief. Guilt. Pain.

Damon had felt every emotion running through him before; felt it worse than he did now, but that didn't stop the frenzied need he had to get to her. Fear over the worse filled him up in the worse way. What if his last moment with her would be one of anger? What if he never got to see those beautiful brown eyes hidden between narrowed lids as she glared at him and told him what an ass he was? What if she was killed because of his own stubbornness?

Speeding down the empty streets he raced to the hospital. He needed to know she was okay. He needed to apologize for every stupid thing he had ever said or did since meeting her. He had to finally let her in on the one part of himself he kept hidden from everyone. His hypocrisy couldn't keep them apart much longer. How could he demand openness from her when he had his own demons locked up? How could he let it get this far when they worked a job that could get them shot at any moment?

_Gilbert was shot._

The dispatcher had no idea the wounding blow he would lay into Damon by just stating those words. They replayed in his head over and over until only the worst case scenarios took over his mind. Could she really be dead? He cursed that damn rule that said condition of victims had to be classified. He cursed that he had to wait until he walked into that haunting hospital before finding out if she was okay.

When he finally pulled up to the offensive building, he didn't even bother correcting his parking job. He pulled into the space at an angle and hopped out before the engine had time to idle. His heart was racing at an inhuman speed and a part of him wondered if he could possibly be having the beginning stages of a heart attack. Couldn't pick a better place to have one.

He quickly found a nurse and practically demanded to know where Elena Gilbert was being kept. The nurse fumbled with her papers, only infuriating him and testing his patience. Finally, she typed away at her computer as Damon tapped impatiently at her desk. She read out the room number and he didn't even wait long enough to thank her before taking the first available elevator.

When it arrived at Elena's floor, Damon's guilt hit him with full-force. The eerie silence and darkened hallways conjured up images that nearly crumpled him. His eyes searched for her room as his ears picked up ever groan of pain and cough that echoed along the hospital corridors. The room appeared and he let himself take in a breath before rushing in and letting his eyes take her in for the first time since he heard the news.

Elena was hooked up to various machines and the sound of a heart monitor echoed in the nearly silent room. The only other sounds were Damon's footsteps as he walked towards her side and Elena's steady breathing as she mumbled in sleep. Her arms and face were covered in bruises and cuts graced her olive skin showing just how much of a danger she had been in. He cursed himself for putting her in that position where she had no one to rely on except a SWAT team she didn't really know. She was leading a raid that she was not familiar with and his anger had put her in this bed.

She groaned in sleep and her eyes opened wearily. Her body shifted and he saw her face wince in pain. Damon instantly reached out in an attempt to do anything to help. He eased her shoulders back down so she was lying on her back and he brushed away a stray piece of hair that had fallen across her face. Elena's eyes began to flutter close as she whispered, "Damon?"

Damon found himself smirking; not his usually one full of mirth, but one that held a hidden sadness for seeing her this way. He was smiling for her, in a fool-hearted attempt to make her feel better. Her eyes closed shut as he smoothed back her hair and he let sleep take her. The room once again was taken by her gentle sounds.

His eyes began to drift from her face, searching her body for the bullet wound. Some of his guilt and worry had been relieved when she had breathed his name, but it wouldn't be gone until he knew the full extent of her injuries. He could see nothing from what was visible and a blanket was covering the rest of her body from beneath her breast and downward.

Just as he was about to lift the sheet and begin an inspection he heard a cough from behind him. Damon turned abruptly and met the accusing eyes of his best friend and mentor. He could only hang his head in shame as set the sheet back down and followed Alaric out of the room.

"Little late, aren't you, Salvatore?" Ric questioned. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was now leaning against the wall across from Elena's room. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was in utter disarray. His clothing was unkempt and he reeked of alcohol.

Damon slowly brought his fist against the wall. "I just heard."

"Better late than never."

"What happened?" Damon questioned, finally having the nerve to meet Ric's eyes.

Ric sighed and slumped against the floor. Damon followed suit and four sets of eyes stayed trained on where Elena slept. "Everything was going according to plan—minus one agent." He sigh-eyed Damon. "They had cleared the first two floors when Elena okay'd the team to head up to the third floor. She had entered a room we believe to belong to the unnamed sister when Klaus and his cronies came out of nowhere. They must've been waiting for her. The agents say Klaus was intent on killing her. He was relentless. Intel thinks he may have heard Elena was the one to shoot Kol earlier. How he found out is beyond me. If the second wave of agents hadn't come in we could've lost her for good." Ric paused to rub at his eyes. "Klaus, Elijah, Finn, Sage and the lot of them got out somehow. The whole thing was a bust."

Damon swallowed a lump in his throat and reached his arms out on his knees, hanging his head once again. He couldn't fight the guilt this time, couldn't hide the shame. It crushed him and it wasn't until he felt Ric's hand on his shoulder that he resurfaced.

"She's going to make it. She's a warrior that one."

A smile lifted one side of his mouth. "Yeah, she is. She's a fighter." His face fell. "Where did she…?"

"Get shot?" Ric frowned. "Her abdomen and leg. She'll have to stay off her leg for a few weeks while it heals. We're talking bed rest and lots of down time. She's going to hate it."

Damon let out a short laugh. "I can definitely picture that."

There was a brief moment of silence as the two men were lost in their own thoughts. Ric was the first to break it. "Look, I know I'm giving you a hard time for abandoning her because you damn well deserve it." He stared at him, pointedly. Damon nodded. "But… the outcome would've been the same. Only maybe you would've found yourself a room, too."

"If I was there she wouldn't be in here at all. Except maybe to mourn over me."

Ric shook his head. "You weren't Klaus' target. She was." He sighed. "Or is for that matter."

"She's going to need security," Damon pointed out. "If the Mikaelson's are out for blood they'll find a way to get to her."

"I know. I've already made arrangements for Jeremy and Elena to move in to my place. They'll be safe there."

"What about Jenna and Lily? Do you really want to put them in danger? Maybe my place would be better." Damon was already working out the details. He certainly had the space and the protection. No one could get in or out of that place without the proper codes and clearances. It was practically a Fort Knox. She would have everything at her disposal and this way the rest of her family could stay safe.

Alaric scoffed. "It was Jen's idea. This is family, Damon. We protect or own. I appreciate the offer though."

"It still stands," Damon stated; making sure Ric could see his sincerity.

"I know, Damon. You're family, too."

Damon began to speak but was cut off by Elena's shrill screams in the other room.

"Mom! Dad! No! No! This is all my fault! No!"

* * *

"Damon?"

Damon jumped out of his seat. "What's wrong? Is everything okay? Do you need anything? Anything hurt? Should I get a doctor? Nurse!"

"Sh!" Elena groaned, causing him to relax. "I just need my water on the night stand. It hurts when I reach."

"Oh," Damon breathed in relief. He reached out and handed it to her, making sure the straw was positioned right by her chapped lips. "Sorry about that."

"It's my fault. You were sleeping. I startled you."

He was already shaking his head. "No, no. Don't apologize, Elena."

Elena gave a small smile before taking a sip of her water. She winced a little with each suck before finally handing him back the cup and relaxing in her bed. Her eyes closed as she released a breath, her hands stretching out in front of her. Damon could only watch her, appraising her for any sign that she was in more pain than she was letting on. She was a stubborn little thing…

Damon had the perfect idea for today—if she was up for it. He was nervous as Hell to show her this side of himself but he knew it was something that needed to be done. Damon had to show Elena that he understood her need to keep her privacy. He dealt with that very issue himself. They both had their walls up and maybe this little look into his life would help chip away a little at hers and help them get back to that understanding they reached a few weeks prior. He had to make up for all the wrong he had done to her.

When she finally opened her eyes, her lip was pulled between her teeth. They both went to speak at the same time.

"Damon, I want to apolog—"

"Are you up for—"

They both laughed. Elena finally said, "You first."

"If you're up for a little wheelchair ride, I want to show you something."

* * *

Damon wheeled her into the room he had visited a thousand times. He stared ahead the tubes and wires, heard the heart monitor and respirator; yet he felt a million miles away. Every time he was in the room it brought him back to the memory that put this man here. As he looked down at Elena, dressed in a similar gown to the man lying on the bed and bandaged just as he was, his heart grew weary. She looked concerned for this unknown man, her compassion seeping through those doe eyes of hers. Elena didn't know this man; didn't know the relationship he had to Damon or why Damon had brought her here and yet she cared.

He would've cried if he had any tears left.

"Elena," Damon began, pausing just long enough for her to meet his eyes, "this is my brother Stefan."


	11. Moving Forward

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: I feel like I keep apologizing to you all! I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I had my brother's wedding two weekends ago and then my aunt was staying over for the week which left no room for writing. Hopefully, now that it's calmed down a bit I can get back to my weekly updates. If you catch me slacking feel free to hound me on twitter or tumblr to get my butt in gear and get to updating! **

**Anyways… Little bit of a shorter chapter here just to get the story moving. We're getting close to where I leave the photoset behind and move on to my own ideas. Enjoy! xx**

* * *

Damon gave her time to absorb it all in. A million different emotions flickered across her face as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly in some fool-hearted attempt to say the right thing. Eventually, she found the words because her eyes met his and she whispered, "You have a brother?"

A quiet chortle escaped him that echoed in the otherwise silent room. Despite their surroundings. Despite the onslaught of pain and grief that this room brought him. Damon was laughing at her shocked expression as those words passed between her lips. "Didn't think Mom and Dad would give it another go after winding up with a hellcat like me?" he quirked.

"No, no," Elena backpedaled. "That's not what I meant at all. I just… I had no idea."

"Not a lot of people do." Damon wheeled her closer and stepped around her to touch his brother's hand. "Like you, I have my own secrets."

Elena seemed confused. "Why tell me then?"

"Because I want to start over," Damon replied honestly. "What I did was wrong. I know that. I knew it when I did it. I'm just hoping that by showing you that I understand your motives a little more than you think, that we can reach some sort of understanding; a fresh start."

He was putting it all out there and in all honesty he had no other choice. If they had any chance of making this work, of him keeping his job, Damon needed to bend a little. There was no way he was going to beg or grovel or any of those overly mushy things in those chick flicks he refused to watch, but he could put a little bit of himself out there in hopes that Elena would see that he had some decency in him.

She thought over his words before wheeling closer to Stefan and placing her hand atop his. The moment their skin touched, Damon's eyes turned towards hers. There was apprehension and worry reflecting back at him but he noticed just a hint of determination and trust. Her eyes closed shut as she angled her head down. "I'd like that."

"Thank you."

Elena nodded as she returned her concerned eyes upon his younger brother. "If you don't mind me asking…. What happened?"

"Undercover operation gone bad."

"Your cover was blown?" she questioned; already knowing the answer.

Damon turned towards his brother. "In the worst way. They went after Stefan. Nearly burned him alive. Docs put him in a coma to help with the healing since the pain was too much. Initially everything was going according to plan. His oxygen saturations were above ninety percent. He was nearly in the clear. Then everything took a turn for the worse."

"Is that why he's on a ventilator?"

With a nod from him, Elena grew silent. Damon felt the wetness begin to pool at his eyes and reached up to wipe it away with his sleeve. He felt Elena's hand on his arm and felt oddly comforted by her silence. She didn't need to console him with words or tell him how everything would work out in the end because unlike those before her she was well aware of the cruelty of life. She had her own demons; her own hardships to bear.

They stayed a few more minutes before they said their goodbyes and he wheeled her out of the room. It felt as if this heaviness had lifted from his chest as the room grew more and more distant. He had peeled back one of his many layers for this girl. Something he had never done before. He had no idea what it was about her that made him want to be better; that made him do things he never would do. Yet here he was reminded of every proverbial wound he had inflicted upon others just by the bandages covering her olive toned skin.

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Damon," she stated when he had returned her to her bed.

"Anything for you, 'Lena," he smirked. Elena shook her head, laughter erupting from her as she smiled over at him. "That was pushing it a tad far, wasn't it?"

"Just a little."

Somewhere along the way from his brother's room to hers they had reached an understanding. Damon just hoped it was enough to last.

* * *

A few days later, Elena was released from the hospital. Damon was anxious as ever to see her again. He had called a few times since unveiling his secret but it wasn't the same. For some reason he had hoped that unveiling his secret would help with the guilt he felt over her getting shot in the first place. He had apologized for his actions; numerous times. Yet he couldn't fight the feeling that he had played a bigger part in her injury. There was something he was missing; some huge neon sign that explained exactly why he was feeling this way.

And why he practically ached to see her.

He showed up at her house, rushed through pleasantries with Jenna, before climbing the stairs (two at a time) to get to her. She was resting on the guest bed, reading a book with the covers up to her stomach. There was something so content about her stance despite the smaller bandages on her hand and arm. He knew the ones on her stomach and leg would be much worse and found himself becoming overrun with guilt once again.

"Knock, knock," Damon sang as he repeatedly hit his knuckles against her open door.

"Damon," Elena smiled, instantly sitting up. He caught her wince and found himself rushing to her side and sitting beside where her thighs were. She gave him a tight lipped smile. "I'm okay. I just can't move that quickly yet."

"I'm so sorry, Elena," he breathed out in a rush.

With her brows furrowed, she starred at him. "Damon…"

"No, listen." He took a breath. "I owe you an apology for… not being there that night."

"Damon, come on…" She shook her head and looked away from him briefly. Elena was probably sick of the constant apologizes he was spewing out but this was the only one he had yet to get off his chest. He had been cruel that day and, yes, so had she. But it was his actions that put her in danger. He had lied to her, had purposely let her go on her own and even wished for cruelty upon her. There was no way he could make it up to her but he would try.

His eyes looked into hers with such regret. "If I had gone with you none of this would've happened."

"But you couldn't," she pleaded. Her hand reached out and wrapped around his. He nearly jolted back at the touch. For a mere second there was silence and yet the moment seemed to stretch out into eternity. The feelings that stirred within him were unfamiliar and made his guilt deepen. This was all his fault. No matter what words were about to come out from her mouth, her wounds were at his own hands. When that moment met it's ended and her word carried him to reality, he was certain he had never felt so low. "You were working on another assignment. It's okay."

It wasn't okay. It never would be. Those were just words he had said to cushion the blow. Excuses he created to hide his own anger. He had no reason for not being there; for not having her back. Instead he nearly took comfort in the arms of some Fatal Attraction wannabe. Sure, that ended but he almost let himself have one more taste before putting Rebekah in the trash bin. He was the worst kind of person and he in no way deserved her kindness.

"I thought we were past this," she smiled, reassuringly squeezing his hand. "Fresh start and all that?"

Damon nodded, staring at their joined hands. "I know. I know."

"Then stop dredging up the past and let's move forward, okay?"

"It's a deal," he smiled, silencing his guilt.

"So," Elena began. "What have I been missing at work?"

* * *

He absolutely loathed his new partner.

There were no words. Even loathed didn't seem to grasp the deep rooted annoyance that Damon felt in his temporary partners presence. It was an older gentleman; some old-timer who was close to retirement and getting his last licks. He had no sense of humor and wore a constant puss on his face. It was like hanging out with a British Guard. All business and no fun.

The only solace Damon found was in Elena's texts and phone calls. She contacted him often, inquiring about the case at first but eventually their conversations became more and more personally. He told her all about his life when he was younger and she berated him with constant questions both quirky and deep rooted. She explained all about what her life had been like before her parents death and told him stories that showed a whole new side to straight-laced Gilbert.

Through their conversations they realized just how much they had in common. They shared a lot of the same views, went through a lot of the same experiences and bonded over their love for their younger siblings and work ethic. Not to mention, Elena had a wicked wit that kept him constantly on his toes. Never before had he been so well matched.

He respected her boundaries and steered clear of questioning about her parents death. Damon knew better than to open up that can of words again now that they were on such good terms. It took time but they both began to open up without prompt. Their conversations were random and fun and yet slowly Damon found his own deep seated walls slowly crumbling down. He found himself unable to fight the smile that formed whenever his phone chimed with a Kings of Leon's song that Elena had gotten him hooked on.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" he scolded at her playfully.

Elena's light laugh filtered in his ear. "Shouldn't you be working? I was going to leave a voicemail, slacker."

"I'll have you know I am hard at work digging up evidence."

"You? Doing manual labor?" Elena gasped. "Oh my God! I think I just saw a pig flying outside!"

"Har, har! You're hilarious, Gilbert." He rolled his eyes, not even trying to hide the mega-watt smile forming on his face. "How's recovery going?"

"Boring," she groaned. "I can't wait to get back to work."

Damon found himself clutching at the speed of his heart. He missed her but that didn't mean she missed him too. It was foolish to think that. "And shoot people," he chided.

"Yeah," she answered, wistfully. "That too."

Was it just him or had he caught just a hint of longing in her voice. Maybe he wasn't being so foolish after all.


	12. Coming Together

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

* * *

Despite the change in his relationship with Elena, Damon's grief didn't lesson. He had confusing nightmares where she screamed and yelled and blamed him for all her hardships. Then blood would pour from her wounds and eyes and mouth as she cried that he it was all his fault. Often he woke with a jolt, clutching his heart and attempting to get a grip on his surroundings. Those dreams haunted him even when her smile in his reality threatened to chase them all away. There wasn't a drop of blame in her doe eyes. The real Elena didn't blame him for her wounds, especially when every passing day she was improving. Her work ethic passed on to her healing and she went from her wheelchair to a cane to standing on her own quicker than expected. Damon was there every step of the way at her request. So why did he still feel at fault?

It was going to get harder for him once she returned to work the following day.

He snapped out of his downward spiral when there was a knock on his office door. "Come in."

Ric strolled in and took a seat in one of two available chairs in front of Damon's desk. "Hiding from McManus?"

"Is it that obvious?" Damon groaned, shuffling some papers on his desk.

"You must be excited for Gilbert to get back to work tomorrow."

Damon may have read the same sentence several times. "Yeah."

Alaric watched him for a moment before standing up and making his way back towards the door. "Be careful there," he stated before shutting the door behind him.

x-x-x-x

Damon smiled as he answered his phone. "I'm about three phone calls away from thinking you're obsessed with me."

"Oh, please," Elena laughed. "You think everyone is obsessed with you."

"This is true," he smirked as he made his way to the Camaro.

"Cocky much?"

"Very much," he whispered as he opened his car door.

Elena groaned on the other end of the line. "Must you be so perverted? I have no evidence to that claim. It's heresy."

Damon shifted in his seat. "There's certainly a way to fix that." He sat idle in his car as the silence passed between them. Elena's quiet breath panted in his ear as the reality of what he was propositioning bounced around in her head. The silence was driving him mad. "So, what's with the incessant phone calls, needy?"

"I'm bored," she sighed.

"Well, I just so happen to have some plans for you."

He heard shuffling on her end. "Really? Cause that would be amazing! I need to get out of this house."

"How about a delicious Italian dinner cooked by yours truly?"

"In the den of sin?"

Damon shook his head. "It's more of a mansion."

"What should I bring? Bleach? Latex gloves? Anti-bacterial soap?"

"I don't know what kind of kinky stuff you're into but whatever tickles your fancy."

"You're sick, Salvatore. What time?"

* * *

The embers on the fire crackled in the den and cast shadows against Damon and Elena as they took a seat on the couch. Elena held a freshly refilled glass of wine that she sipped graciously as Damon chugged down the contents of his bourbon. For a moment they just relaxed as they stared at the fireplace. Dinner had gone better than expected. The meal had come together flawlessly and she had enjoyed every bite judging by the sounds she made. She helped him clean the dishes as they discussed inconsequential things and it wasn't long before Damon had suggested they have a drink out in the den. Elena made another "den of sin" joke before following him out, laughing the entire time. Now they sat here in comfortable silence as they enjoyed each other's company. It was awhile before either of them dared to break the silence and when they did they both spoke at the same time and laughed before Elena told him to continue.

"I'm glad you're fully recovered," he said. "I was starting to miss you being a badass."

Elena took a mouthful of wine and swallowed hard. "My replacement must really suck for you to openly admit this."

"Or maybe I just miss having you around," he replied, honestly. His honesty and vulnerability were out in full force tonight. It seemed he had lost his filter having her in his house. The darkness that encompassed the rooms and nearly swallowed him whole had all but disappeared and instead was replaced with light. Bright, warm light that expanded every time she smiled.

Elena smiled and hid behind her hair as she ran her fingers along the top of her glass. She had never been shy. This was a new side of her he hadn't had the pleasure of knowing. In the firelight he saw a blush paint her skin. The atmosphere seemed charged as he studied her, wanting to know what was going on in her head. He needed her closer; needed to feel her in his arms.

Placing his glass on a coaster, he stood and extended his hand. "Before you go back to work tomorrow…. Let's see if your leg is really healed."

Elena met his eyes before placing her hand in his with a smile. He helped her stand and together, hands entwined, they walked over to the fire place. Damon pulled her towards him and she melted into him. He could smell the coconut scent of her shampoo, feel the silk fabric of her floral dress, and hear the hammering of her heart as it beat against his chest. Their hands stayed clasped as her chin rested on his shoulder and her free hand held him close. His own free hand was wrapped tightly around her waist as they swayed to the crackling fire.

He spun her out away from him and when she came back in her hand gripped hold of his head and kissed him hard. The move shocked him, and rightfully so. He had entertained thoughts of this happening but never would've acted on it. Friends were about as much as he could've hoped for from the girl in his arms right now. Now she was in his house, kissing him.

Sliding both hands down to her waist, he kissed her back wholeheartedly. Her hands pulled at his hair and scratched down his back as she molded herself against him. He was completely lost in her, forgetting about his earlier troubles with guilt. Right now his entire world was this girl and how good she made him feel.

She pushed him towards a nearby wall next to the fireplace and began to unbutton his shirt. Her fingertips ghosted down each section of newly revealed flesh as her mouth followed a path of its own along his jaw. Damon's hands were all over her, memorizing flesh with flesh. The curve of her hip, the swell of her breast, the flatness of her stomach, the firmness of her backside; he committed it all to memory. Elena's skin was soft yet it was obvious just how toned and strong her body was. She was a fierce opponent and he let her dominate, wanting nothing more than to worship her as if she was a goddess.

Clothes were strewn, marks were made, bodies were explored and before long Damon's head was nestled between her thighs as he made her climax over and over again with his tongue. Her back arched off the Oriental rug as her nails threatened to tear it apart at the seams. When she came back down he kissed his way up to her lips, entangling his tongue with hers and losing himself in her once more.

Elena pulled back for air and he began to kiss along the length of her neck. "I need you inside me, Damon," she breathed, her breath husky from overuse.

"Anything for you, 'Lena," he stated, repeating his words from weeks before with a smirk. She smiled up at him, cupping his face and kissing him chastely.

He fumbled for his jeans and pulled out a condom. Elena sat up instantly, crawling towards him and taking the rubber from his hands. She kissed down his chest, her tongue dancing along his skin as she made her way down. Her mouth enveloped him and Damon groaned loudly. She found an easy rhythm alternating between hallowing out her cheeks and swirling her tongue and it wasn't long before Damon was gripping her hair. He usually had to guide chicks that did this too him but Elena seemed to know what he wanted before he even thought it. When he felt close, Elena already seemed to know because she slipped the condom on to him and used her mouth and hands to put it on.

Damon was overcome with need and he could see it reflecting in her eyes as she sat straight up and licked her lips. It took everything he had to move slowly towards her. He eased her on to her back and she opened up to him, her hand snaking down and grabbing hold of him. She positioned him at her center and with one upward thrust of her hips he was inside her. They both groaned in unison before they began to move as one.

Their eyes never strayed off one another except to close in kiss. It was erotic and heightened everything Damon was feeling. They were so entwined that he looked down and couldn't tell where he ended and she began; only that he had never felt so complete. She met him, thrust for thrust, angling her hips to rub against him in just the right way. Their breathing was heavy and it seemed as if with each exhale of breath from her that same breath would be inhaled by him. It was illogical but the feeling it brought overcame logic.

Just like the fact that month's ago they were at each other's throats in a completely different way.

Elena brought her mouth to his and kissed him as she used her legs to roll him on to his back. His hands roamed her body as she straddled him and used his body for support. She was unraveling above him as he marveled at the way her face contorted before her head fell back. Her cries echoed in the otherwise empty house as he pushed into her again and again. They were both so close and then her body tightened in the most beautiful way before she spiraled down taking him along with her.

She collapsed on top of him before rolling over and lying beside him. For minutes they could do nothing but catch their breath. Then Damon turned his head and began kissing the side of her face. "That was…"

"… Amazing," she finished, sighing with a smile. "So, that's what happens when you release pent up frustration."

"I've wanted to do that since the moment I saw you that first day in that black pencil skirt."

Elena's eyes darkened. "From the moment your eyes widen when you realized I was your partner and not your next secretary conquest."

"But you kept me at a distance," Damon stated, perplexed.

Elena sat up a little and rested her head on her hand. Her free hand reached over and played with his hair. "Because I needed to stay focused. You were too tempting. Eventually it just became too much and then when I got shot…" She grew quiet, unable to finish the statement.

"You couldn't fight it anymore?"

She shook her head. "It kind of puts things in perspective." Elena then laughed before leaning over to kiss him. "This is some sweet pillow talk, Salvatore. Is that why you're Mr. Hit It and Quit It? You send them running for the hills right after with all the heavy conversation?"

He maneuvered himself on top of her, pinning her down with his body. "First of all, I don't see any pillows. Second of all, it's pretty obvious why I'm a one night stand kind of guy given my job description."

"Understandable," she agreed. "So, where does that leave me?"

In a quick move, he had her over his shoulder as he ran towards the stairs. There was no way he was having this conversation on the now itchy rug. She yelped and laughed and hit his backside as he climbed the stairs two at a time. He placed her on his bed, her hair spread out around her like a halo. "Do you want this to be a one-time thing?"

Elena shook her head. "No."

"Me neither," he answered, shocked at his own sincerity. Was he really entering into monogamy with his partner of all people? The cons were stacked against them but the pros were too good to let go.

"So, we figure this thing out as we go along?" she questioned. Damon nodded. "Then you better get ready for round two!" she squealed, attacking Damon and bringing her lips to his. He kissed her back, preparing to enter her again before she suddenly held her arms out and pulled away. With a serious face she asked, "Please tell me you these are clean sheets you're planning on fucking me on?"

Damon narrowed his eyes at her budding smile. "That's it! You're in for it!"

"Cocky much?" she joked, her eyes drifting down to where he was positioned between her legs.

"Very much."

"Oh, I know," she winked, before rolling them over and enveloping him once more.


	13. Exposed

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Here we go…..**

* * *

The sunlight slowly filtered into Damon's waking eyes causing him to squint. He stretched in sleep; waking up his idle, tense muscles. It only took seconds before the events from the night before flashed before him waking him up quicker than any kind of stretching could do. Images of his mouth on her, her hands exploring his body, her cries, his grunts, their moans played out before him. The memory of her moving above him would be forever imprinted in his brain. It was a sight to behold.

He stretched his hand out to the other side of the bed, confused when he found it empty. He looked around, searching for his bedmate, finding the room empty. It was only when he heard a quiet laugh that brought his attention towards the bathroom that his panic lessened and his heart rate sped up. Elena stood there, leaning against the wall dressed in only panties, a bra, and his shirt from the night before. He scanned her long toned legs and his eyes darkened when he focused on where his shirt made contact with her bare skin. Never before had he been jealous of an article of clothing.

Elena's face lit up as his eyes met hers; giving him a front row seat to the biggest smile he had seen from her yet. She sprinted towards him, jumping on the bed and maneuvering herself so that her head was back on his pillow. Damon's arm instantly pulled her close and brought their lips together.

Elena sighed into the kiss, relaxing into his embrace. "You know, we should probably start moving if we don't want to be late."

Damon rolled his eyes. He had forgotten that they both had full time jobs that required their full attention. There was no way he could focus on work now that he had Elena in his bed. Still, he knew it wouldn't be long before Alaric started calling both their phones. "How long do you think it'll take for our phones to start buzzing?"

She pondered as she lifted her bare wrist to her eyes. "Not long."

"We better not waste time then," he growled, rolling on top over her and kissing her neck.

Elena shifted underneath him, bringing her legs around his waist. Her hand slipped between them as she pushed her underwear to the side and positioned him at her entrance. With one swift thrust he was immersed in sweet velvet. This wasn't about exploration or passion or need, this was lazy morning sex that was somehow just as spectacular as the night before. They moved together slowly, giving each other lazy kisses and feather light touches. When the need became too much their motions quickened, her hands clawed at his back and their eye contact didn't waver as they came together again.

With each time being just as amazing as the next, how did they ever stop?

* * *

Damon strolled into the office a half hour after Elena texted him that she was inside. It made sense that he be the later one seeing as Ric was constantly riding him about his punctuality, or lack thereof. Somehow through a hands on shower that was less about getting clean and more about getting dirty again, they had managed to get Elena out of the house on time. The smart girl that she was, she had packed an overnight bag, complete with everything she needed to look presentable for her first day back. The little vixen knew what was going to happen when she walked into his "den of sin" as she liked to call it.

Once his coffee finished, he retrieved the steamy cup and made his way to his office. Various co-workers debriefed him on their latest intel on the Mikaelson's and he replied when necessary but if he was being honest his head just wasn't in it. It had been too long since he got to see Elena in that damned black pencil skirt from their first meeting. She barely made it out of the house in that thing.

When he passed her office, he gave himself a chance peek and saw Elena leaning back in her chair with her fingers pulling at the collar of her blue and white pinstriped Oxford shirt. She turned her head and saw him, giving him a little wink as he passed. Damon responded with his classic smirk before continuing to his office and sending her a naughty text. Just after he hit the send button a knock sounded and in walked his boss, his mentor, his best friend, and more importantly, Elena's uncle.

For some reason, Damon felt nervous. He fixed his posture and tidied up his desk and Ric stared at him with a peculiar expression. "You alright there, Salvatore?"

"Yup. Yes. Yes, sir." Damon stuttered and then took a deep breath. "Just a little overwhelmed with the whole Gilbert shooting."

"Well, if you were on time this morning," Ric glared, "Elena debriefed us on the entirety of what happened that night."

Damon's hands balled into fists. "We need to bring down, Klaus."

"I know," Ric replied. "We'll catch him somehow."

Just before he was going to answer, Damon's phone rang. Thinking it was Elena and realizing he didn't want to read her dirty response with her uncle in the room, he quieted the phone much to Ric's amusement. He excused himself just as Damon's phone began to ring again. Damon followed him out, shutting the door behind him. Turing around and looking down at his phone, he saw a bunch of texts from Rebekah demanding to know where he was and why he was ignoring her. Then just as he heard the door open and felt the presence of someone else behind him a naked photo of Rebekah appeared of his phone.

"Hey handsom—who the hell is that?"

Damon jumped up, exiting out of the message and turning his phone upside down on the desk. "Elena!"

She shifted her weight to her other foot. "Who was that, Damon?"

"Some girl I was seeing. I ended it the night of the shooting but she clearly didn't get the message."

"Clearly," Elena responded, disgusted. "I thought you had an assignment that night?"

Damon couldn't meet her eyes. "I lied. I was hurt and more than a little pissed that you used me."

"So, you left me without a partner in my first Mikaelson raid?" She nodded with her lips pulled in a tight line. Damon's phone went off again and this time Elena was too quick for him. She shook her head as she stared at the screen. "Pretty girl."

Elena tossed the phone at him and Damon saw Rebekah's pouting face staring back at him. Just as Elena was about to leave, Damon grabbed her arm and turned her towards him. He held her face in his hands. "I'm not going to apologize about Rebekah because I ended things with her before I ever got involved with you. You know how sorry I am for not being there that night. I didn't leave you to be with her. I went to her place that night to end things with her because I realized I had feelings for you even though you infuriated me. Contrary to popular believe, I don't string girls along. I'm a gentleman in that respect."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Damon. We're figuring this out. Remember?" Her voice gave away just how hurt she really was.

"No, I do. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, Elena. It's my fault you were shot. A day doesn't go by that I don't deal with that guilt."

He saw Elena's eyes water up and he reached out to wipe away a tear. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Great morning after, huh?"

"Stupendous."

She gave a small smile. "It's not your fault I was shot, Damon. It's Klaus'. We have enough guilt between the both of us without feeling guilty over things other people are responsible for."

"We good?"

"We're good."

"Good," Damon smirked and quickly kissed her forehead. "Because we're literally surrounded by glass and people are going to start thinking something's up because we're not fighting."

"Wouldn't want that," she winked. "God, Damon, you're such an asshole," she groaned as she opened the door to walk out.

"Only because you're such a pain in the ass, Gilbert!" he called out after her, slamming his door shut. He laughed as he made his way back to his desk. Pulling out his phone he sent out a text to Rebekah explaining that things were over between them and to not contact him again. Just as he put his phone down, it chimed once more with a text from Elena.

**From Elena Gilbert (10:43am): Dinner tonight at your place? I want some more of that Italian sausage! ;)**

Damon laughed while typing out his response. The innuendo was too easy.

* * *

Dinner went by without a hitch. It seemed the little fiasco with Rebekah had been resolved and they were now back to their easy conversation and groping ways. He made her Italian sausage as she requested a bit back a slew of innuendos even though she continuously baited him.

When dinner was done they cleaned up the table and brought all the dirty dishes into the kitchen. As he placed them into the sink, Damon leaned over and kissed Elena, eager for her to see the surprise he had in store for her when she got upstairs. "Why don't you head upstairs? There might be a little something special up there waiting for you."

"Hmm. I believe there's something very big down here," she whispered, palming him over his jeans.

"Trust me you'll want to see this." He had prepared a bubble bath from them complete with candles and rose petals and soft music.

She huffed and pouted before kissing him on the cheek. "Are you sure you don't want me to do the dishes? You did cook, after all."

"Nope. I'm just going to let them soak so they're not a pain in the ass tomorrow morning."

Elena laughed as she walked away. "Such the little housewife."

Damon shook his head as she disappeared from the kitchen. He let his mind wander over how he was going to deal with Rebekah. There was no way she was disrupting his relationship with Elena. He paused in his thinking. Did he honestly just confirm to himself that he was in a relationship now? He truly was becoming a changed man and he couldn't help but think that Elena was the cause of it.

He pondered over how to see if she felt the same as he cleaned up the dishes. They agreed to become more than a one night stand but how did he go about making it exclusive? It had been awhile since he did the whole monogamy thing. Was it still so juvenile? Did he send out a note asking her to be his girlfriend and have her check off yes or no? That seemed a little immature even for him. But if that wasn't the case did he just go about it the direct way and ask if she wanted to be his one and only?

Once the dishes were soaking he made his way up the stairs, determined to keep this thing with Elena moving forward. He wanted a future. What that future was, he didn't know, but he needed her in it. At that moment, walking towards her, he couldn't picture a single future that didn't have her in it. That didn't have him doing this very thing day after day for the rest of his life. They would have their issues—he was sure of it. But they would fight through them because he couldn't lose this feeling.

When he opened the room, he found the very last thing he expected. Elena stood in his room staring at the open door of his closet where his biggest shame existed. Somewhere in the chaos of giving Elena her space and privacy to becoming whatever they were he forgot all about the very thing that could drive them apart.

"What the fuck is this, Damon?" she yelled, staring at the chaos that covered his wooden door.

Damon stepped towards her. "I can explain."

"What the fuck is 'Gilbert Wide Open'?" Her hand reached out to tear off some of the papers that had been taped to the door. She crumbled them in her fist and threw them down on the floor. "I thought you told me you let all this go? That all you did was hire an investigator. What the hell?"

"I did. This was everything we could find. It's all from before; when I was still being an asshole. This was before the shooting. Before Ric told me what an obsessive stalker I was being."

"Ric knew?!" Elena's hand went into her hair, pulling at the long strands. Her eyes were erratic as she tried to process everything. Suddenly, she went still and stared daggers at him again. He hadn't been on the receiving end of that look in a long time and it hurt him. "Is this why you slept with me? To get the story of how my parents died."

"What?" he asked in shock. "No. Elena, I would never do that."

She gestured to the closet door. "I never thought you would do anything like this."

"Elena, just let me explain. This is all from before…. When I told you I hired the investigator."

"You didn't tell me you made a storyboard of my life! I can't believe you would use me like this. How could you?" Tears were falling down her cheeks now. "You want the story, Damon? You want it this bad? I'll give it to you. Do you want to know how I'm responsible for killing my parents? Why I'm so hell bent of shutting down organized crime? My parents were killed by a gang because I worked for the FBI. They were kidnapped and held hostage so that I could return information we had against the family."

Damon tried to reach for her but she swatted away his hand. "Elena, please. You don't have to tell me. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I only want you to tell me when you're ready."

"No, Damon. This is obviously so important to you. You want to know what I did? Against my bosses orders I went there to return the evidence we had on them. But I was too late. They put my parents in a car and pushed them over a bridge. I tried to jump in and save them but I couldn't get the doors or windows open. I literally watched as my parents died all because I was too late. They were banging on the doors and trying to free their hands from the cuffs and they mouthed that they loved me and that I had to take care of Jeremy and then they just stopped fighting it. They died as I watched and I couldn't help them. I'm an FBI agent and I couldn't save my parents. And the worst part? The family got the evidence and got away with it and I got transferred because I wasn't cut out for D.C. investigating. No one wanted me until Ric. So, like you said it was nepotism at its finest."

Even though Elena's confession explained a lot about why she was so closed off and why his blunt attitude got to her that first day. Why she couldn't let herself get attached in fear that once again her compassion would be used against her. He understood it and had the truth been revealed in the correct way and not out of anger at his betrayal he would be able to comfort her right now. Instead he had to feel her hands push him away as she cried broken, choking sobs that caused her to clutch her stomach and chest.

"I need to get out of here. I can't even look at you right now." She gathered up her things and pushed passed him to get to the door. Damon called after her to no avail and even chased her to her car as she slammed the door shut and sped out of his driveway.

This was his fault. After coming out to Elena about researching her history he had meant to take down his personal Elena Gilbert storyboard but other things had got in the way. It seemed as if, as always, things with Elena were constantly one step forward and two steps back. They had reached an understanding, admitted to their feelings and now with one mishap it had all come crumbling down. What was worse was he finally has the information he wanted but at the cost of Elena's trust and happiness. This was not the way he wanted to find out. Not when she looked so broken and upset at his invasion of her privacy.

He had messed up. Big time. And he wasn't sure if there was any way they could come back from it.


	14. Puzzle Pieces

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

* * *

Damon drank himself into a stupor. He used the nearly endless supply of bourbon at his disposal to drown the pain in his heart. Never in the constant string of relationships that he forced himself to participate in had a girl left him feelings so empty and hollow. When Elena walked out of his bedroom and sped her car down his driveway she took all the light from his life. It was a cruel punishment to be bathed in sunlight only for the shadows to come racing back in. He couldn't find his barring's; couldn't fight the guilt and shame that washed over him and pulled him further down his own abyss.

Her empty words laced with such pain and regret as she blurted out the truth behind her parents death still echoed in his mind. How could he have let it get this bad? How could he stoop so low as to create a thinking board in his home? Once those thoughts started another bottle would find itself empty. It wasn't long before the sun rose and even shorter till his phone started blaring beside him with Ric's number flashing on the screen.

He couldn't even think about work like a time like this. Couldn't fathom seeing Elena pretending as if nothing happened between them. Or worse; walking into work and finding out she had truly given up on him once and for all. Damon couldn't blame her if she did.

"Yeah?" he finally slurred when he picked up the phone.

"Are you aware that it's nearly noon and your ass is not at your desk?" Alaric growled from the other end.

Damon covered his eyes with his hand, spilling some of his precious bourbon in the process. He cursed before saying, "Not really in the mood, Ric. I'll work from home today."

"No can do. We've got a big hit on the Mikaelson's. Mystery sister revealed. Debriefing in an hour. Be there or find yourself another job."

Alaric didn't even wait for an answer before hanging up the phone. Damon groaned as he stood. He didn't really have a choice. No one else was going to put up with his shit. There was no way he was losing his job over some chick. Even if that chick stirred up things within him that he wasn't sure he could even feel any more. He rushed through his shower, splashed some water on his face and threw on a wrinkled suit. Knowing he was in no condition to drive, he called his reliable taxi service (the one he used on all his one night stands) and attempted to sober up with some coffee.

By the time the taxi showed up and raced to his office wanting the 50% tip Damon promised him if he got him there on time, Damon was somewhat functioning. His head throbbed, he reeked of booze, but at least he wasn't falling over his steps or stringing together a bunch of incoherent sentences. He threw the cash on the front seat and got out of the car, feeling the pain in his chest worsen with every step he made towards her.

Damon walked right into the debriefing room and collapsed into a vacant chair. He asked one of the assistants to make him a black coffee and leaned his head on the table. Despite his hidden face, he knew the moment she stepped into the room. He heard the familiar sound of her heels, smelled the fragrance of her body wash, knew her sweet, calming voice as she greeted her co-workers. Damon didn't dare lift his head; refused to see the anger and hurt in his eyes. He didn't need to see his own betrayal reflected back at him; didn't need a reminder of how stalker-like he had become.

Thankfully before his inner debate could continue much longer Alaric called the room to order. Damon lifted his head and focused on the screen Ric stood in front of his, shocked to see the last person he expected smiling back at him.

"This is Rebekah Mikaelson- the unnamed sister we've been looking for. Thanks to Lockwood and Martin we caught photographs of her frequent arrivals at her brother Elijah's house. We listened to the tapped recordings and have confirmation that she is indeed related to the crime family. She's planning something big. Something her brothers don't approve of. And if they're scarred; we should be. That's the only explanation for the slip up. Rebekah Mikaelson is not the weak link we've been expecting."

At some point during Alaric's speech, Damon snuck a chance look at Elena. Her face was a mask of indifference as she stared ahead but he eyes betrayed her. Every now and then, he eyes would stray towards him and give him a look of pure hatred coupled with determination and worry. She was going to come at him as soon as this finished and he was in no way prepared for it.

This whole time they've been looking for the unnamed Mikaelson and he'd been right under him the entire time. Literally.

"This means an entirely new plan. Salvatore and Gilbert will look into Rebekah's history. Lockwood and Martin keep up the good work of stalking her. Bennett and Forbes I want you working on a contingency plan. Everyone else keep trying to find something to bring these guys down. They've attacked one of our own," Alaric stated, softening his eyes as he looked at Elena. "This is the last time they slip through our fingers. It's personal. We protect our own."

Ric gave a curt nod and the room was dismissed. Damon tried to escape, to sneak into his office and disappear but she was on his heels. She practically pushed him into his office and if their relationship would've been like it had prior he would've enjoyed the manhandling.

"You mean to tell me you've had the unknown Mikaelson sister in your bed this whole time and you had no idea? You're the worse FBI agent ever!"

Damon slumped into his guest chairs. "Good morning to you to, Elena."

"This is serious, Damon. You're lucky I didn't rat you out in there. You'd be the laughing stock of the bureau."

"Or it's hero," he shrugged. Elena slapped his head, causing his head to feel like his brain was ricocheting around his skull. "Ow."

"Will you take this seriously?" Elena groaned. "You can't kepe this information hidden, Damon. You've been to her hideout. She's been to your place."

"Calm down. Alright? Let me just do some damage control first. We're supposed to handle this so let's do it."

Elena shook her head. "We should report this."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Stopping such a tightass and just help your partner figure this out."

Her eyes narrowed as her arms crossed over her chest. "You shouldn't really be insulting me, Damon, or asking for my help for that matter. Considering the shit you pulled last night."

He watched as her eyes soften the more she took in his state. The frumpled work clothes so unlike the smooth, ironed attire he usually donned, the red, swollen eyes and the stench of alcohol. She had to see what a mess he was and that was probably the only reason he was still sitting her with his balls intact.

Damon stood and went to place his hands on her shoulder but thought better once she stepped back. He sighed and tried the apology route one last time. "I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I can say it but I'll keep trying. I'm an asshole. I know that but it's no excuse. I really messed up."

"You did," she mumbled, casting her eyes downward and giving a little sniffle. He watched as she put herself back together, shook off the pain and sadness and squared her shoulders. He was jealous of her strength. There was no way he could do that as quickly. "Let's get a little background on Rebekah and stop by her place and do a once over. I highly doubt she's staying there any longer now that she outted herself. We'll have to stop by Elijah's place. Do a little drop-by."

He nodded. "Sounds good."

Elena gave a curt nod before turning to exit his office. With her hand on the knob she stopped and gave a shuddering breath. "You hurt me, Damon. Don't let it happen again." Then before he could say anything, she opened the door and shut it closed behind her. She didn't exactly forgive him but she wasn't pushing him out of her life either. Maybe there was a sliver of hope after all.

* * *

"The lead on her hideout was bust," Elena spoke into her phone. "It looks as if no one ever lived there. Not even a crumb on the floor. They're on to us."

Damon drove down the highway as Elena filled Ric in on the latest findings. It was as expected. Rebekah's apartment was nothing like how he remembered the last time he was there. The realization that the Rebekah he had been sleeping with was the very Mikaelson sibling they had been searching for had shocked him. How could he be so stupid? Elena was right. How could he consider himself a top agent when she had been within reach that whole time.

Then a memory lingered in the back of his mind: his rant about Elena shooting Kol. A rant he decided to have right in front of Kol's younger sister. He remembered Rebekah's reaction. Her quick, hushed phone call before he rushed out. It all was coming back to him.

"Shit!" he yelled, his hand hitting the steering wheel. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Hold on a second, Ric. Damon's having a breakdown." Elena cupped her hand over the mouthpiece. "What the Hell is going on, Salvatore?"

"It's all my fucking fault! Shit!"

Elena lifted up the phone. "Ric, I'll call you back. We're nearly at Elijah's place. Uh huh. I'll fill you in later. It's a long story." She hung up and looked at her partner. "What is?"

"You… the shooting… everything! I can't believe I was so fucking stupid! I can't believe I didn't put it all together before! Why they were so intent on shooting you! It never made sense before how they had intel on who shot Kol but it was all because of me and my stupid fucking mouth."

"Can you start at the beginning?" Elena pleaded, trying to follow his erratic thoughts.

Damon slammed his head against the steering wheel as they approached a red light. "The night you were shot. Right after we had that fight and you told me you used me, Rebekah picked me up."

"I'm with you so far. You told me this last night."

"I was upset and wallowing in fury and self-pity. I went on a tirade about the whole thing." He lifted his head to meet her eyes. "I told her you shot Kol. That's how they found out. That's why they went after you."

Elena was quiet as the words settled over her. Damon continued to drive still warring with the anger within himself. The depth of his own guilt never made sense before but suddenly it was all clicking into place. He was to blame for all of it. Him and his appendages. Finally, blocks later, Elena spoke. "They were going to find out somehow. Everyone knows it was only the two of us inside with Matt. Hundreds of people saw only us go inside. It was either you or me, Damon, and it just so happens I was the only one there that night."

"I don't deserve this, Elena. Don't give me the easy way out. Reem out for being such an idiot."

Her gaze focused out the window. "I'm not going easy on you, Damon. You had no idea who Rebekah was even though I would hope you would do some kind of backround check on a girl your divulging classified information to seeing how you did that and then some to your own partner."

The jibe reminded him that even though Elena was being civil he was in no way near being in her good graces. He had royally screwed up and the fact that they were staking out an old hook up would only remain as a constant reminder for her.

Before the conversation could continue they were at Elijah's house. Elena was already in work mode, working out strategies to get them inside. Just as they were settling on the finer details a loud gunshot sounded from inside and they both bolted from their cars. Elena quickly called for backup as she motioned to Damon to go ahead, promising she would take the rear as soon as backup replied. Damon nodded and walked towards the house with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

He kicked open the door with his gun outstretched. He peered around each corner, making sure he had his area covered. All seemed clear, not even a single stirring in the house. That only put his body more on edge. Just as he was entering the kitchen and seeing the calm, relaxed faces of Elijah and a women he had never seen before smiling at him, something was placed over his mouth and before he could comprehend what was happening the scene around him went black.


	15. Hell Hath No Fury

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: My excuse for not updating?... I MET IAN AGAIN!**

* * *

He was drowning.

There was no other way around it.

As he looked down into her stunning brown eyes as he moved over her he could come to no other conclusion. Her eyes were so deep, so endless and entrancing, that he wished to spend all day swimming in them. She looked up at him with such vulnerability and yet such fire that he felt the need to explore all her contradictions and complexities. Elena was beautiful, smart, and strong-willed and she was looking up at him with such lazy happiness that he felt like the luckiest bastard alive. Their journey to lazy-morning-after-the-most-mind-blowing-sex-of-hi s-life-sex was a complicated one full of endless back and forth and more shouting matches than he cared for. He didn't know her whole story but he was being to notice the way she crossed her arms over her body when she was angry (something he noticed pretty quick by the amount of times she'd done towards him), the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she felt shy, the way she tugged on whatever piece of jewelry draped along her neck when she was nervous. All her little nuances were coming together to form the mysterious girl below him.

Damon had a lifetime to learn about Elena; to finally be worthy of the truth about her parents death. For now, however, he was content just studying her face and the tiny flecks of gold that brightened her doe eyes. The secrets would be revealed in time but he wasn't about to rush this moment with her or any others that followed. This was a big enough secret on its own.

It was when he thought of his earlier description of falling that he realized just how wrong he was. He looked up at her, cradling her face and running a finger across her lips that he realized he wasn't drowning, he was falling. Hard.

He was falling in love and that was something Damon just didn't do.

Having a relationship was hard enough given his job title; add the fact that Elena worked with him and he had himself a shit-storm. Inter-office dating was a huge no-no in the bureau—especially between partners. It happened… occasionally. Usually they both up and quit, retired… what have you, but usually one was demoted while the other went on to build up an amazing career. Sometimes it worked, usually it didn't. The blame game would become too much and the couple would find itself giving it all up for nothing. That's why if a relationship did start most kept it a secret. The job was only worth giving up if the person you're losing it for is worth it.

Damon couldn't help but think where that left him and Elena. Was she really worth giving everything up for?

He decided to push the thought aside and focus instead on how great Elena's hips felt as they moved against him. He focused on the soft cries coming from her lips, on the feeling of her nails as they dug into his back, on the scent of her skin as he pressed his lips into the nape of her neck. Elena arched against him, pressing her body closer. Her thighs squeezed him as her legs urged him faster. They came together, staring into each other's eyes and tangling themselves even further into this mess that they alone created.

Nestled into her neck and planting butterfly kisses along her skin, he heard a voice. It wasn't the sweet angel that he was still joined with but instead a voice that didn't fit the scene. When he pulled back he saw light blue eyes, not brown; icy blonde hair, not deep chestnut brown. He tried to jump backwards but Rebekah's legs held him still.

"You're all mine now, Damon," she purred. "They'll be no getting away from me now."

Damon awoke with a fright to find himself hung up by his bound wrists. He was in an empty ballroom with only a bright light to keep him company. He cringed at the tainted, distorted memory he had just relieved. It had been his last good moment with Elena in his room. Before she found his Gilbert Wide Open wall and before everything had gone to shit. The last thing he remembered was entering Elijah's kitchen before someone came up behind him and chloroformed him.

Just as he figured out the cause behind all of this, said kidnapper made herself known with the click-clacking of her heels. She appeared before him draped in a deep, crimson red. Her blonde hair was pulled tightly into a bun upon her head and her black Louis Vuitton's carried her towards him as she smiled smugly towards him. Damon's face was in an instant grimace when she approached him and began to run her manicured fingers down his button up.

"You," he sneered.

"Me," she smiled, ripping open his shirt and sending buttons flying about the room. They echoed in the vacant ballroom joined only by Rebekah's humming. It was only when Rebekah walked over to his side did he notice the small table with various knives and tools. Damon tried to assess the room to figure a way out of this but his chances were diminishing by the second. Rebekah seemed to notice his wandering eyes. "Don't count on it, pretty boy. My brother Kol taught me how to knot. You know, my brother. The one your little tramp killed."

"Elena is not a tramp!" Damon shouted, losing whatever calm he had somehow maintained.

Rebekah gave a reprimanding sound. "Hit a soft spot, did I?" She picked up a tiny carving knife and inspected it between her fingers. "Shame I couldn't get my hands around her scrawny neck for what she did to my brother."

"Why couldn't you?" Damon asked, instantly curious. If Elena was in danger, too, because of his own stupidity he would never forgive himself. Not that he would have to wait long with whatever plans Rebekah had in store for him.

She shook her head, hitting the knife against her palm. "She high-tailed out of there when Nik, Finn and Sage showed up. Got into a bit of a shooting match outside the house." Her voice grew angrier as she talked. "She got Sage in the leg and Nik across the cheek. She'll get hers. We won't leave her breathing next time."

He needed to get the topic off Rebekah before she worked out some more detailed plans. As incapable as he was at the moment, he needed to do what he could to protect Elena. "What do you plan to do with me? Torture me into falling in love with you? That whole kidnaper-kidnapee love connection?"

"You pretended to be interested in me just so you could sleep with me only to fuck your slutty, pathetic partner. Ever since then I've had this need to make you bleed."

"Kinky," Damon deadpanned. "Explain to me how Elena is the slutty one when you jumped my bones after one drunken meeting and then decided to Fatal Attraction me?"

Enraged, Rebekah slammed a long, slender knife into Damon's leg. He groaned in pain and fisted his arms. Then she dragged the carving knife she had kept in her other hand along his hip bone, drawing blood. With an eerie smile on her face she whispered, "Unlike Glenn Close, Damon, I plan to finish the job."

* * *

Damon was exhausted and covered in his own blood. She had cut and whipped and bruised his entire body and had only let up to clean up her own hands. He wasn't sure how long he had been in this room at this psychopath's mercy but he only prayed she would finish him off soon.

"Now for the pièce de résistance," Rebekah cooed as she held up a rusty nail. She walked over and placed the rusty nail over the left side of his chest.

Biting his lip, Damon tried to stop from screaming from the brutal pain she inflicted upon him. She took her time maneuvering the nail, digging deeper with each movement. His groans filled the room followed by her laughter. If possible her movements slow as she dragged the nail against his skin.

When she finished, Damon's head hung in exhaustion. His eyes finally opened to reveal that underneath pools of blood she had carved a heart into his chest. Disgusted, he looked up at her and saw her boasting with pride at her handiwork. Rebekah is delighted by his pain, at seeing the blood spill from his wounds and on to the tarp covering the wood floor. Suddenly she jammed a knife into his side and Damon screamed in pain.

The sound of footsteps approaching caused Damon to feel just the slightest tingle of hope before he saw Klaus' and it all drained from him once again. His eyes drifted up to his cheek to see the stitches fixing the wound Elena inflicted upon him. A sudden wave of pride filled him at seeing that mark. Klaus looked upon the scene with mild annoyance and boredom. "Well, look what you've caught. Wouldn't it be easier just to shoot him and be done with it?"

"No," Rebekah groaned. "I need to make him suffer for what he's done to me."

"We have more important matters, sister. I've put up with this little tantrum long enough."

More footsteps and Damon saw Elijah and the mysterious woman. Elijah studied Damon with intrigue before stating, "What do you know of mercy, brother? It appears our sister takes after your likeness for cruelty."

"She's going to ruin the floors," the mysterious woman whined. "How are ever supposed to throw a party in here again with blood stains lining the dance floors?"

"That's none of your concern, Katherine," Rebekah sneered. "Just because my brother fancies you doesn't mean you hold any kind of say in this family."

Klaus grabbed his sister's wrist. "And you do? Let's not forget that I run this family; that you obey me. You're lucky I let you get away with disobeying my orders and revealing yourself. Your plan failed. We didn't get the Gilbert girl. Now dispose of this agent and be done with it. We have product to move."

With a wave of his hand as he turned, Elijah and Katherine followed. Katherine only sent one saddened glance in his direction before turning forward and looping her arm through Elijah's. They disappeared into the darkness and Damon was left alone once again with Rebekah. "Just be done with it, Rebekah. Listen to your brother," he coughed out, noticing the familiar iron taste of blood coating his throat and tongue.

"Because you were so quick with me? You strung me along! Let me believe you were interested in me!"

"I was. Just not in the way you wanted."

Rebekah's eyes grew watery. "You made me believe you did and for that you will suffer."

"Oh, come on. You didn't honestly think we had anything serious, did you? All we did was fuck, Rebekah? I knew nothing about your life." He studied her face, the look of hurt and rejection clear as day. He was going to have to be an asshole if he ever wanted some relief. "I get it. If Klaus bossed me around for all my life, I'd probably be pretty desperate for attention too."

The pain came before he could even process the blade entering his stomach. He gave a strangled cry as she dug it in deeper, twisting it the further it went in. Blood sputtered from his abdomen as he gave dry heaves. This was it. The end. Rebekah lifted her head and whispered in his ear, "Goodbye, lover."

Just before the darkness surrounded him he heard a commotion down the hall followed by screams and yelling. "Rebekah! We're being raided! Come quick!" was the last thing he heard before he succumbed to the pain.


	16. Leap of Faith

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

* * *

"Oh my God! Damon? Someone get help!"

"He's lost a lot of blood."

"Well go find someone who can help him! Damon? Damon, please say something. Come back to me."

"What's going on?"

"It's Damon, Ric. That bitch tortured him. When I get my hands on her…"

"Elena, quiet your voice. There are people around. You don't want to raise suspicion."

"You know?"

"I've always known. From the very beginning."

"What are we going to do?"

"I won't rat you out. At least not now. We have bigger issues to deal with."

"Right. Damon needs help."

"You did good, Elena. Thanks to you we can finally put this family behind bars where they belong. This must've been their home base. Lockwood and Martin found drugs, laundered money, contacts… you name it. We've got them. We finally got them."

"None of it matters if Damon's not okay. What if we were too late? I should've gone in after him. I shouldn't have bailed."

"Then that would be you hung up there or worse. You did the right thing. You led us to them."

"I guess."

"He's going to be okay, Elena. He's a fighter. He'll come back."

"I hope so. I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't."

* * *

The harsh light of the hospital cause Damon to squint after being in the darkness for so long. He was hooked up to various machines, his steady heartbeat filling the otherwise silent room. His body ached and it hurt for him to shift his body into a sitting position. Groaning, he finally sat up just as a nurse walked in and smiled.

"Good to see you finally awake, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon gave a curt nod. "How long have I been out?" he questioned in a hoarse voice.

The nurse poured him a glass of water and he drank it. "A few days. You lost a lot of blood and were a little touch and go there for a while. We stitched up what we could and injected you with antibiotics to prevent any further complications. You're in for a long recovery time, Mr. Salvatore but the worst is over."

He nodded, taking another sip of his water, and that was when he noticed her. Curled up on a nearby chair with a thin woolen blanket draped over her sleeping form was Elena. Even in sleep he could tell how worried she had been, how tired she had become. She looked uncomfortable even as she rested. Her brows were puckered in sleep with worry.

As he watched muddled memories from his brief consciousness came filtering in and realized just how much Elena cared. When the impossible had been reached—when they finally captured the Mikaelson's—the only thing on her mind was him. It was quite a change from the workaholic hard-ass he met a few months ago.

The nurse must've caught his staring because she whispered, "And that one hasn't left your side since you were admitted. Comes here straight from work and spends the night. You've got quite the dedicated partner there."

"She's something special," he smiled. An unfamiliar feeling began to creep its way into his heart, warming him from the inside.

"I'll go let the doctor know you're awake. He'll be in to check up on you shortly."

As the door closed behind her, he saw Elena stir in her sleep. She let out a huge yawn and stretched out her legs and arms. With her hands she wiped away the last remnants of sleep and opened her eyes, looking immediately at him. Damon watched as her eyes registered shock and relief and pure happiness. A smile lifted the corner of her lips as she breathed in a sleepy voice, "You're awake."

"I'm awake."

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she began to fold the blanket that had been draped on her.

"As good as one can feel after playing a human kabob." Damon placed his hand over his chest, feeling the bandage that covered Rebekah's scarred heart. "How did you find me?"

This caused Elena to smile. "You were pretty much stalking me with your whole 'Gilbert Wide Open.' It's only natural that I put a trace on your phone."

"Guess it's a good thing I was such a stalker," Damon smirked.

Elena gave a short laugh followed by a sad smile. Her eyes looked briefly down at her feet before meeting his once more. "I really thought I lost you."

"You weren't so lucky."

"Damon. Be serious."

Damon's smile vanished. "I know."

"I don't think I can go through that again."

He reached his hand out and Elena stood, walked towards him and took it in both of hers. "You're not going to lose me. We caught them. It's all over."

Elena's thumb brushed against his. "Then why do I have this feeling like the worst isn't over yet?"

* * *

Days or weeks later—to be honest Damon lost count—he was finally back home in the familiar boarding house that was once again overflowing with light. Since their discussion that first day he woke, his relationship with Elena was better than it ever had been. They talked endlessly about their pasts, their hopes for the future, and this time when Elena talked about her parents she actually let Damon comfort her. It was heartbreaking but at least they had finally laid everything out on the table.

Well… almost everything.

When he made his way downstairs he found the house fresh with homemade cooking and lemon Pine Sol. Elena was adamant about keeping him well fed and house spotless. He told her time and time again that he had a cleaning service and could order out but Elena wasn't having any of it. She tidied up what she believed the cleaning service missed and made sure his fridge was stocked with her and Jenna's cooking.

"Are you still here?" he groaned, playfully.

"You haven't annoyed me yet," she smiled, stirring sauce in one of his mother's pots.

"Elena…" he warned, feeling the anxiety build up inside him at the sound of the spoon scratching the bottom of the pot.

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's not damaging the pot, Damon. I have family heirlooms, too."

He looked around and noticed she had messed with his cabinet organization and began to stealthily move things back to their rightful place. Elena noticed of course and playfully slapped his hand before ushering him out of the kitchen and waving his grandmother's wooden spoon above her head.

"You're going to get sauce all over the walls if you keep doing that!" Damon called back once he had been forcibly removed from the kitchen.

"Damon!" she groaned. "Stop being such a housewife!"

He held his hands up. "Just clean it up using the Magic-Clean Eraser but rub lightly because if you don't it'll take the paint off and then we'll ha—"

"Damon!"

"Okay! Okay!"

Per Elena's orders, he stayed out of the kitchen until she had finished cooking. They ate dinner and had some dessert before finally relaxing in the den. Elena had her feet resting on his lap as she nursed a cup of coffee. Together they enjoyed the silence and the comfort of the roaring fire burning in the fireplace. Damon knew he had to get something off his chest, something that he had realized that day in the hospital. It was just a matter of getting the words out.

It was going to take a leap of faith because either way she was worth it. "Elena, there's something I've been wanting to tell you."

"I love you, too, Damon," she said as she peeked over her cup of coffee. He could tell she was smile by the way the apples of her cheeks became fuller and her eyes were sparkling as they stared at him.

"You do?" he questioned; taken back by her words, her boldness.

Elena placed her coffee cup down and moved to sit beside him, her legs curling beneath her. Her hand reached out and touched his face. Her fingers danced along his jaw. "You've done some stupid things but so have I. This may be one huge mistake and we both might be too messed up to even be in a functional relationship but I can't help the way that I feel about you. I haven't ever been able to since the first day we met. I l—"

Damon held a hand up to her mouth. "Are you ever going to give me the chance to say it?" Elena nodded and he continued. "I'm sorry for how we got started, that I never learned about personal boundaries but in the same way you can't lose me, there's no way in hell I'm losing you. I love you, Elena."

They didn't need words then. It had been too long since her lips were on his, since his hands roamed the soft curves of her body and her fingers pulled insistently at his clothes. They went slow; not because he was in pain or sore but because they wanted to suspend the moment for as long as they could. When she removed his shirt, her mouth went over his scares and kisses every inch of pink flesh. Her tongue rolled along the curves of the heart that would forever be etched into his skin. It would always be a reminder of the moment that made them both realize they could live without each other.

It wasn't long before they were both overwhelmed with need and they couldn't put it off much longer. Elena straddled Damon and they became one as their bodies moved together in the intricate dance they both knew so well. It was so unlike so many other times where there was fumbling and ill-timed thrusts. Their bodies connected and moved as if they had been doing this for years.

At some point they ended up on the floor on an oriental rug with the firelight dancing along their skin. Elena's hands clutched Damon's hair as she held him tight to her body as his hips thrusted up into her over and over. She cried his name, her head lulling back as Damon gripped her hips. A glean of sweat coated their bodies as they moved, their breaths turning into pants as they neared that glorious edge. They tumbled over it together, their cries muffled by an open mouthed kiss.

Afterwards they lay tangled up in each other's arms, their fingers dancing along bare skin. Elena was tucked into Damon's nook, her leg hitched over his body. Comfortable silence stretched on until she broke it with a question that had been plaguing his mind since he realized he was in love with his partner. "How is this ever going to work?"

"We'll have to sneak around for a while until we figure this out."

Elena drew lazy circles along his belly button. "Alaric knows. He won't tell anyone but if it becomes public knowledge he'll have no other choice but to make us choose."

Damon hugged her closer. "We'll worry about that when the times comes. Let's just have one day. One selfish day where nothing is trying to tear us apart, including us."

"I like the sound of that," she whispered, leaning over to kiss the spot just under his jaw.

"Everything will work out in the end."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

**A/N: Not too much angst in this chapter. I figured I'd give you a light one to make up for the previous chapter. But no worries, the angst will pick up next chapter when they return to work (:**

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I love hearing what you all think and your theories along the way. Keep it up! **

**Also, a lot of you have been messaging me about a possible chapter in Elena's POV and while it doesn't necessarily work in this story if I reach 1,000 reviews I'll do an O/S or outtake in Elena's POV in any scenario you like whether that be a flipped POV or a future/past take. Let me know what you think!**

**Thanks again xx**


	17. Chance

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Pretty sure this is the penultimate chapter. Depends on how much the writing muses like me for the next chapter. Sometimes they're very chatty and one chapter turns into two. If they're quiet than the next update will be the last one and I can mark that "Complete" section on FF. Thank you all so much for your response to this story. I appreciate every single one of you more than words could articulate xx**

* * *

Damon didn't know what to expect when he returned to work. Celebration? Cheers? A sense of relief about the office? When he walked in his first day back he was met with hushed whispers and wide eyed stares. All of which were aimed at him. He continued with his morning routine before finding solace in his office. With the door shut, he finally found solace and tried to figure out what had the office buzzing. It was in that state that Alaric found him.

"I need you to come to my office," Ric stated, not even trying to meet his eyes.

With a nod, Damon stood and followed his boss to the large office down the hall. When the door opened he found a worried Elena seated in one of the two guest chairs in front of the large mahogany desk. Alaric took a seat and Damon sent one worried look towards Elena before facing Ric once more. Whatever was about to happen he knew Elena was worth it.

"I don't know where to begin," Ric said, running his hands through his hair. "I expected that this would come out eventually but certainly not this quickly and not after such a big bust."

"Just get on with it, Ric," Damon encouraged. "Rip off the metaphorical band aid."

Ric sighed. "You've been outted. Your relationship is now on record."

"By who?" Elena questioned in a small voice.

Alaric sighed and just before he spoke a knock sounded at his door and it opened without so much as a word of invitation. In walked a familiar looking woman dressed very differently than the last time Damon had saw her. She was dressed in a professional manner with her curly brown locks pulled back into a ponytail. In her hands were an array of files which she placed on Alaric's desk before turning toward Damon and Elena.

"Hello, Damon Salvatore I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Katherine Pierce." She turned toward Elena and with wide, shocking eyes whispered, "And you must be Elena Gilbert."

"Yes. Nice to meet you."

Katherine smiled widely. "Oh, you won't be thinking so in a moment."

"Why would that be?" Damon questioned.

Her muddied brown eyes turned on him. "You don't quite remember me, do you?"

"Can't quite place how to be honest."

"That's understandable," she offered, leaning against Alaric's desk. "You were being tortured at the time. For the past five years I've been undercover at the Mikaelson's as Elijah's girlfriend."

Elena leaned forward, suddenly invested in the conversation. "Why weren't we notified that an agent was on the inside? How come you didn't know about Rebekah prior to Damon's involvement?"

Katherine smiled, shaking her head in a condescending way. "That information was well above your pay grade. As for Rebekah, even I wasn't privy to her identity until she stormed in hell-bent on getting Damon. The whole operation at Elijah's was a set up to get Damon. Not that I knew who exactly we were after. Even I wasn't aware he was an agent until much later."

"So, you let him be tortured for hours!"

"If you hadn't ridden in with the cavalry in tow I had every intention of notifying my employer. I'm sorry but the Mikaelson's were the bigger fish to catch. Damon couldn't be the priority."

"You would've let him die to continue your mission?" Elena said in an even voice.

Eerie silence enveloped the room for a moment before Katherine spoke. "Yes."

Elena turned her anger on Ric. It took everything inside Damon to not reach out and touch. He knew where all this was leading to. Where this conversation would end he was still figuring it out in his head while they all discussed his death. "I can't believe you're letting her talk like this! Damon's your best friend. Doesn't his life matter? He isn't just some collateral damage!"

"Ah, I knew we would get here eventually," Katherine said in a pleased tone. "Exactly how much does Agent Salvatore's life matter to you, Gilbert? More so than the casual partner relationship?"

"Why don't you just get to the point, Katherine?" Damon stated with his arms folded over his chest as he stared daggers at this entitled woman before them.

Katherine rifled through her paperwork and pulled out a DVD, placing it in the player in Alaric's office. Rebekah appeared on the screen, her hair disheveled and her tired eyes staring straight ahead into the camera. She began to describe the nature of her relationship with Damon: how she sought him out to get intel on the FBI leads, the way they fucked like rabbits, how she began to have real feelings for him and that he had betrayed her by falling for his partner, she began to go in to detail just how much she wanted him to pay before Katherine's voice could be heard in the background asking about how she knew Damon and his partner were intimate.

"One night I showed up uninvited to his house and he shunned me away. Nik and Elijah had warned me he couldn't be trusted. That he was using me for sex. They had prepared me for what he did to me. So, I did what they asked. When he denied me I placed cameras throughout his house. I'd be one step ahead of him. He wouldn't get away with using me." Rebekah's eyes were murderous as she stared into the lens.

Katherine's voice came over the video again. "What exactly did you see on these cameras?"

"Damon and his partner, that fucking tramp, fucking on the carpet in his den."

"And you're positive this was his partner?"

Rebekah nodded. "He kept saying her name and they talked about how they were going to make this work in the office."

"So, they were aware that their union was prohibited in the office?"

"Yeah," Rebekah stated, growing tired of her questioning.

Katherine than reached over a turned the DVD off. "There we have it. What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"Why, in the middle of a gang bust may I add, was my personal life the main focus in an interrogation?" Elena questioned, anger brewing inside her.

Damon than stood, standing well above Katherine and her heels. "The woman tortured me and invaded my privacy. Instead of probing her for information about the case you're questioning her about a relationship I'm having with my co-worker?"

"Had you not been intimately involved with a Mikaelson your personal and may I add forbidden relationship wouldn't have been relevant to our investigation."

"What about your relationship with Elijah? I bet you hit your head on a few head boards in those five years. Elijah Mikaelson is a prude by no means," Damon probed.

Katherine didn't waver from his gaze. "That's neither here nor there. I knew what was expected of me when I signed up for this. Just as you knew very well of the decorum expected of you where it concerned your co-workers."

Damon took a seat again; this time not even bothering to care as he took Elena's hand in his. She looked at him with such anger and pain and yet relief as he did so. They were together now. Nothing was coming between that. No matter where this conversation ended, there was no way he was losing her again. They would face this together; as a team, equals.

A proud, arrogant smile formed on Katherine's face as worry lines deepened on Alaric's. He remained quiet during the whole conversation and Damon knew why. If Katherine's involvement with the Mikaelson's were above his pay grade it was well above Ric's as well. Katherine was calling the shots here. There wasn't a thing Ric could do about it.

"Seeing that the evidence of a relationship is being validated before me I have no choice but to give you an ultimatum. You have the choice to end the relationship, quit, or be reassigned." She turned towards Ric and stated, "I expect to hear their answer by the end of the week or I will choose for them."

Alaric nodded, solemnly. "You'll have your answer."

She nodded and made her way out of the room retreating with a, "Nice to meet all of you. It's been a pleasure," before disappearing behind the door.

Alaric lowered his head in his hands before sighing and meeting Damon and Elena's face. "You both have a lot of talking to do. You can consider the Mikaelson case closed. You did a brilliant job. I'm sorry it's been overshadowed by the two of you finding each other. Take the rest of the day off."

They stood and together hand-in-hand walked out of the office.

* * *

"I'm going to put in my letter of resignation first thing tomorrow."

Damon shook his head. "Elena, I'm not going to let you do this."

She reached out and placed her hand on his knee. "It only brings out bad memories, Damon. I did what I came to do. I shut down a crime organization. It may not be the one that killed my parents but I saved some family from going through what mine did. I'm okay with that."

"You love your job, Elena."

Elena let out a weak laugh. "So, do you. This is your turf. You practically owned this place before I came in and messed everything up for you."

"No, you didn't. Even with Ric as my boss I was well on my way to being a mall cop."

"I highly doubt the great Damon Salvatore would stoop so low. You'd talk your way back in." She gave him a genuine smile for the first time since this morning. "I forgave you, didn't I?"

"Yes, but I have you hypnotized by my charm," Damon winked.

"Is that what we're calling my little buddy?" Her hand began to gravitate up his thigh.

Damon leaned close to her and whispered, "There's nothing little about it."

She shook her head, sighing the word "nope" over and over before covering his mouth with hers. They lost themselves in each other for a moment before the dark cloud looming over them dampened the mood once again.

"I'm not going to take your job from you, Elena. You're an amazing agent. You still have that light in your eyes and that energy that I once had. I missed so many obvious things in this case, I think it's time I face the facts that I've been at this for too long."

Elena cupped his face in her hands. "Don't think like that. You're a natural at this, Damon. You were just overwhelmed with this case."

"Elena, stop. Leaving you isn't an option. This is the one that makes the most sense. Before you came and changed everything work was the only thing I had going for me. Even with Ric and Jenna letting me play uncle I didn't really have anything good in my life. I have you now. I'm not just the job anymore. It's not as important to me as you."

Damon watched as a tear made its way down the side of her face. Her voice was scratchy when she spoke. "Just admit the truth, Damon. You're becoming an old man. Your stamina just isn't what it used to be."

He pushed down her hands and wiped the tear away before it landed on her lips. "That's why I left all the saving to you. You saved me, Elena. Not the other way around. If that doesn't prove you're the better agent I don't know what will."

She pushed out a breath, groaning. "We could go back and forth all night, Damon." Elena reached into her pocket and pulled out a quarter, rolling it around in her fingers. "I say we leave this up to chance. Heads you quit, tails I do."

"It's a deal," Damon agreed.

Elena threw the quarter up in the air and it begun to spin before landing back into her awaiting palm. She closed her fist around it before flipping it over and placing it on the back of Damon's hand. Together they looked at the coin that would decide their fate.


	18. Velvet

**Title: **Scarred and Bleeding

**Summary:** Damon and Elena are FBI agents who don't really get along well; after she gets injured during an assignment, things start to change.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

**A/N: Here it is… Once again thank you all so much for the amazing response to this little story! It meant the world having your reviews to read and seeing your reaction to each chapter. Hope you enjoy this final update for our little FBI couple…**

* * *

He never got used to it.

It was months later and still the evidence that his house no longer was seen as dark and dreary but rather a place filled with light and laughter and love shocked him. Not long after the coin toss had Elena moved in with Jeremy, who only had a few more weeks of school left before he would be off to college. Then a few days after everyone was settled in and getting used to a routine the phone call Damon had been waiting for finally came.

"Mr. Salvatore?"

"Yes," Damon responded, a nervousness taking over his voice. Elena sensed it from across the room and instantly stood up from her chair to take his hand in hers.

"This is Dr. Fell from Mystic Falls General." The doctor cleared her throat before speaking again. "I'm happy to report that your brother, Stefan, has finally awoken from his coma. He's doing well despite some dizziness and confusion which is to be expected. You're welcome to come whenever you get a chance."

The elation that filled Damon up was enough to cause him to squeeze Elena to him and wrap her up tight enough that she had to remind him she needed to breathe. "I'll be there as soon as I can," Damon spoke into the phone.

The doctor laughed. "Carefully, please. Stefan will be waiting."

They hung up and Damon found himself spinning Elena around the room. "What's going on?" she smiled out after he had given her a bruising kiss for about the tenth time.

"Stefan's awake. He's finally awake."

Now it was Elena's turn to squeeze him. They rejoiced for a few short minutes before racing over to the hospital. Elena stood in the hallway as Damon walked into his brother's hospital room. He found Stefan sitting up, nursing a cup of water. His eyes ignited with excitement when he finally turned towards Damon and it was as if they were school boys again with the way they embraced each other. Stefan was full of questions and Damon did his best to answer each one before finally introducing him to the biggest part of his life.

A few weeks later, Stefan joined the little family that took residence in the boarding house. It took some getting used to. He still wasn't back to his usual self and after the ordeal Damon wasn't sure if he ever would be. In the meantime he was just enjoying finally be able to see his brother laugh and smile and try to tidy up the mess his once perfect bouffant hairdo had turned into. They spent hours just talking and rehashing old memories. Damon finally got out the guilt he felt at putting his brother in the crosshairs and when Stefan reached out to him, promising him that he didn't blame him, the weight he had placed upon himself finally lifted.

The coin toss which had once filled him with uncertainty had turned into a blessing. The coin landed on heads and Damon had done the very last thing anyone expected of him: choosing the girl over work. He was steadfast in his decision; constantly reminding Elena that this had been her idea and that she had set the rules. She was reluctant at first but after her first week back, Damon knew he had made the right decision. He may have retired young but seeing that fire in Elena's eyes and that determination in her heart was a constant reminder that she was the right one for the job.

On his last night after he had cleaned up his office and was staring around the four walls that had been a home to him for so many years when Elena had walked in. She shut the door behind him, making sure the blinds had fallen and that no curious eyes could see whatever exchange she had in store for them that night.

"How did your last day go?" Elena questioned with a sympathetic smile. She walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Damon shrugged. "I have enough bourbon to last through my retirement."

She was quiet for moment, her fingers reaching up and smoothing down his unruly hair. "Maybe we can talk to Ric. There has to be some way for everyone to get what they want."

"I want you. That's enough for me." He leaned forward and placed the softest of kisses on the tip of her nose. Who knew he, Damon Salvatore, did cute kisses or cheesy lines?

"You and I both know you'll get bored."

Damon shrugged, not believing it for a second. "I'm sure we'll hit a rut sometime. That's when the kinky sex comes in." He smirked and brought his mouth to cover hers.

She melted into his kiss, her hands going from soft tugs to hard grips on his strands. "You know what we never got a chance to do, Damon?" she sighed.

"Mmm, what?" he hummed, lost in the silkiness of her neck.

"All those times you infuriated me in this office there was only one thing I wanted to do," Elena reached past him and pushed aside the three boxes that contained everything in this office that was his. It fell to the floor and Elena quickly turned their bodies so she could sit on his desk. Her legs spread for him and that was when he realized the total irony of this moment. His hands ghosted up her thighs and pushed up the very same black pencil skirt she had worn at their first meeting. Her shirt was the very same dark blue button up that he had imagined unbuttoning.

His hands found her center and found her completely bare and wet for him. "Looks like we get to the kinky stuff early."

"This is the last chance I get to fuck my asshole co-worker on his desk," she breathed as his finger entered her.

The sound of the curse dropping from her lips did funny things to him and he couldn't take the anticipation any longer. This wasn't going to be quick and drawn out. It was going to be fast and rough and dirty. "Fuck, Elena," he cursed as her hands undid his belt and freed him. Her soft hands wrapped around him, finding him already hard for her.

She gave him a little smirk before roughly bringing her mouth to his and pulling his hips towards her. "Fuck me, Damon."

"You'll need to be quiet," he warned.

Elena mimed a key locking her lips before Damon lost what little control he had. He pushed aside her hands, gave her a bruising kiss and pushed himself inside of her velvety folds in one hard thrust. Elena moaned into his mouth just as his hand gathered up her hair and roughly tilted her head to the side and deepening their kiss. She gripped his ass firmly, deepening his already frantic thrusts, as her legs tangled around his.

Damon was so lost in her that he forgot time and circumstance. He knew they had to remain quiet but that did little to stop him from tearing open her shirt and sending buttons flying all across his office. His one hand gripped her weight, holding her to him, while his other freely roamed the lace covered mounds before him. He pulled down her bra just enough to expose her breast as Elena's hands roamed underneath his shirt before moving instead to his hair.

"Harder, Damon," she whined, moving her hips in such a frantic dance that it was driving him mad.

"Such a pain in the ass," he growled, increasing his speed.

Soon her body was squeezing him causing him to tense up and unravel within her. They came together in a mess of hushed whispers and sloppy kisses as their hands squeezed and scratched and pulled at whatever it could. When they finished they remained as one, lost in this moment that could've been before returning to the reality that was more than either of them hoped for.

"I can't believe you ripped open my blouse," Elena stated, trying to foolishly piece her shirt back together. "You're such an asshole."

"That may be true," he agreed, pulling out of her and grabbing one of his button ups from a haphazard box on the floor. He handed it to her and kissed her forehead, whispering, "But I'm your asshole."

Elena began re-dressing, giving him one last kiss. "I'll see you at home."

It was a better last night than he could've asked for. They had come so far since that first night: individually and as a couple. Seeing everything that Elena brought out of him, the way she forced him to face his demons and begin to care for someone other than himself made him regret the way he had been in the past. They both had their scars to deal with it but facing them together made it a little less scary.

Damon was sitting in his library, working on some research for one of Elena's cases, when he heard the familiar sound of the front door shutting. Her heels echoed through the hallways as she searched for him. It didn't take long. For some reason she always knew just where to find him.

"Alaric would kill me if he knew you were looking at those files," she said, removing her blazer and neatly placing it on a leather chair.

He laughed. "Pot. Kettle. Ric calls me every now and again to help out, too."

"I supposed he told you what happened to Katherine Pierce."

"The chick who outted us? What about her?" Damon looked up, curious.

Elena walked over and took a seat on his lap. "Seems Ric felt something was off about the way she took pleasure out of our situation. He said there was something personal about her enjoyment. Something more than just doing the job. Turns out she fell for Elijah Mikaelson. She's been giving the Bureau the wrong intel on them for years. She was a turncoat."

"Huh," Damon replied, caring little about her demise. "I guess she got what was coming to her."

"Now that all the Mikaelson's are finished and you're actually enjoying retirement how do we ever keep life in this house interesting?"

Damon laughed. He knew exactly how things would get exciting. The secret existed in a velvet jewelry box in his pocket. It was going to be their next adventure. Hopefully this one was a little less bloody and a lot more like those chick flicks Elena and Lily made him watch with the happy ever after and cheesy love songs.

Who knew falling for his partner would bring him here? The self-proclaimed playboy going out of his way to plan the perfect night to pop the question to his girlfriend who once annoyed the hell out of him. It had been a long journey getting here but the hope of seeing Elena smile the way she was now, nestled on his lap and talking about her day, for the rest of his life confirmed what he believed the night they received their ultimatum. Elena was worth it and she always would be.

* * *

**A/N: Short but sweet!**

**You all are phenomenal! Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, passing this story on, etc. I'm so happy you enjoyed my little journey into angstville and didn't get too upset with me as I put you through cliffhanger after cliffhanger. So thank you again! xx**


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